WALES

Departmental Publications

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Department's policy responsibilities contained in the Foresight report on Mental Capital and Wellbeing by the Government Office for Science; if she will ensure that her Department takes steps to promote well-being; if she will ensure that her Department's policy development process takes account of psychological research into subjective well-being; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: I welcome the conclusions of the Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing and will ensure that my Department acts on these as appropriate.

TRANSPORT

Cycling: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what cost-benefit ratios his Department uses to assess the merits of funding Cycling England programmes.

Norman Baker: The original Cycling England programme was proposed by the board and approved by Ministers on the basis of existing research and expertise. Many of the programmes were intended as demonstration projects and provide an evidence base for the potential of local cycle interventions.
	Individual programmes are delivered via a variety of partners, with different criteria for selection, and are subject to ongoing evaluation.
	Analysis of results of the first phase of funding for the initial six cycling demonstration towns has provided benefit cost ratios in the range 2.6 to 3.5.

Departmental Reorganisation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons he has decided to implement the majority of the proposals for re-organisation of his Department before June 2011; and when he took that decision.

Philip Hammond: The reorganisation timetable reflects the judgment of the Secretary of State and senior officials, and best practice in other organisations, that change is managed most effectively over a short period. A provisional decision that reorganisation should be undertaken swiftly was taken in the spring. Formal approval for that approach was conditional on the results of the comprehensive spending review. That formal approval was given by the Department's board on 29 October.

Departmental Reorganisation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether an equality impact assessment was undertaken before his decision to implement the majority of the proposals for the reorganisation of his Department before June 2011.

Philip Hammond: Yes. Completed equality impact assessments were presented to the Department board on 29 October.

Departmental Reorganisation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations he consulted before implementing the majority of the proposals for the reorganisation of his Department before June 2011.

Philip Hammond: We continue to consult the trade union side and Department for Transport staff. We have discussed our proposals with a large number of other central Government Departments and a number of private sector organisations with experience in this area.

Driving: Licensing

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to inform older drivers of the requirement to renew a driving licence at age 70; how many drivers eligible for renewal of their licence at age 70 did not renew their licence in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency sends reminder letters 90 days prior to a driver reaching their 70 birthday to advise them how to renew their driving entitlement. Between 30 October 2009 and 29 October 2010, the number of drivers reaching the age of 70 was 499,901. Of these 141,722 drivers did not renew their driving entitlement.

Freight

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of arrangements to examine freight arriving at UK ports and airports.

Philip Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement made by the Home Secretary in the House on 1 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 632-33.
	The UK Government have temporarily banned all air cargo originating from Yemen and Somalia. I and officials will be meeting senior representatives of airlines, airports and the air cargo industry over the coming weeks to determine future aviation security strategy.

Liquid Petroleum Gas

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with representatives of the liquid petroleum gas industry the contribution of liquid petroleum gas as a road fuel to meeting the Government's air quality targets.

Norman Baker: To date, I have not received any invitations from representatives of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry wishing to discuss air quality issues.
	Testing conducted for the Department on recent petrol vehicles converted to run on LPG showed no reduction in air quality emissions when running on LPG, although CO2 emissions were slightly reduced. Data from other sources show similar results. Representatives of the LPG industry are in touch with the Department's officials and will no doubt keep them informed of any new evidence as it emerges.

Railways: Wiltshire

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of the Kemble to Swindon railway line.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 1 November 2010
	The Government recognise that re-doubling the railway between Swindon and Kemble could generate important passenger benefits and improve resilience by providing a diversionary route for the Great Western Main Line to Wales. Unfortunately, the need to address the deficit means that we are not able to commit Government funding to this project at present, but it remains our aspiration to take it forward in the future. However, this is the type of project that will be considered for funding in the next railway control period.

Taxis: Licensing

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to bring forward proposals for a national standardised licensing regime for  (a) hackney carriages and  (b) private hire vehicles.

Norman Baker: We have no plans to amend the legislation to impose standardised licensing policies. We publish Best Practice Guidance to assist licensing authorities in formulating suitable taxi and private hire vehicle licensing policies.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to implement obligations under Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities regarding accessibility in relation to his Department's policy responsibilities.

Norman Baker: Department for Transport officials are working with officials at the Office for Disability Issues on preparing a report to the UN on what the UK is doing to implement the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The report, which will be published next year, will set out what the Department is doing to meet its obligations under article 9 of the convention.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Richard Benyon: Three events were hosted during October which all Ministers attended at a cost of £134.

Departmental Pay

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many permanent staff in her Department received an annual salary greater than £25,428 in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 2 November 2010
	There were 4,870 full-time equivalent permanent members of staff paid an annual salary greater than £25,428 out of a total of 10,061 staff in core-DEFRA and its Executive Agencies-Rural Payments Agency, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Food and Environment Research Agency, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Animal Health and Veterinary Medicines Directorate-during 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her Department's capital expenditure per head was in  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much and what proportion of her Department's capital expenditure was allocated to  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each of the last five financial years.

Richard Benyon: Capital expenditure is not currently recorded by the Department on a regional basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in her Department's settlement letter in respect of the comprehensive spending review.

Richard Benyon: All pressures on Departments' budgets were taken into account as part of the spending review and settlements were allocated accordingly. The full cost of redundancies will be met from within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' spending review resource departmental expenditure limit settlement.

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review in respect of  (a) her Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA will make the reduction in headcount through natural wastage and voluntary departures wherever possible, with compulsory redundancies as a last resort. Until we know the numbers who take up voluntary departure, it will not be possible to estimate the number of compulsory redundancies. However, overall, we expect DEFRA and its arm's length bodies to have up to 8,000 fewer staff by 2015, from a total workforce of 30,000 across the network in 2010-11.

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of staff redundancy in each of the next four years.

Richard Benyon: The overall cost of exits is estimated to be around £190 million. Until workforce modelling has been completed across the network and the terms of the newly proposed Civil Service Compensation Scheme are approved, this can only be regarded as a planning assumption.

Departmental Redundancy

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff of  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have been offered enhanced early retirement packages in each of the last three years.

Richard Benyon: The following table shows the total number of staff who were offered and accepted enhanced early retirement packages in each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Core/Agency  Exits 
			 2010-11 Core 24 
			  RPA 3 
			  AH 4 
			  VMD 0 
			  VLA 0 
			  CEFAS 0 
			  FERA(1) 0 
			
			 2009-10 Core 6 
			  RPA 13 
			  AH 0 
			  VMD 0 
			  VLA 0 
			  CEFAS 1 
			  FERA(1) 4 
			
			 2008-09 Core 2 
			  RPA 8 
			  AH 0 
			  VMD 0 
			  VLA 0 
			  FERA(1) 1 
			 (1) The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) was formed on 1 April 2009. All data prior to this date relate only to the former Central Science Laboratory (CSL).

Dogs: Breeding

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward amendments to the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs to include references on dog breeding and genetic health and welfare.

James Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 September 2010,  Official Report, column 934W.

Dogs: Breeding

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with  (a) the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and  (b) the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation on proposals for a standard puppy contract; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The potential value of the puppy contract has been raised with Lord Henley by the President of the British Veterinary Association at a recent meeting. DEFRA will assess the situation once it has been reviewed by the independent Dog Advisory Council as part of its wider programme for bringing forward a strategy to improve the health and welfare of dogs.

Fisheries

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effects on fishing communities of the proposed requirement on vessels in the under-10 metre fleet to complete a log book.

Richard Benyon: This requirement will not affect the vast majority of inshore fishermen in the south and south east of England, whose fishing trips are confined to single fishing areas, and no adverse effects on fishing communities is anticipated. It will, however, help to ensure that local inshore fishermen in each of the affected sea areas are not disadvantaged by having catches taken in adjacent sea areas wrongly attributed to their area, thus reducing the amount of quota available for them to fish.

Flood Control: Finance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of her Department's capital expenditure was allocated to the Environment Agency for flood defence schemes in each of the last five years; how much she plans to allocate to such schemes in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Between 2006-07 and 2010-11, the Department allocated the following amounts to the Environment Agency for flood defence schemes:
	
		
			   Allocation (£ million) 
			 2006-07(1) 216.3 
			 2007-08 210.0 
			 2008-09 313.1 
			 2009-10 349.4 
			 2010-11 354.0 
			 1 Actual spend figure including resource-capital switch (allocation figure unavailable). 
		
	
	DEFRA is currently considering capital allocations for the next four financial years (those covered by the recent spending review) across the DEFRA Network, including the Environment Agency. More information on allocations should be available in January 2011.

Food

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the prospects for discussion of UK food security as part of the forthcoming negotiations on the future of the common agricultural policy.

James Paice: The Commission will soon publish its Communication which will set the framework for the common agriculture policy (CAP) in the new financial perspective.
	DEFRA's UK Food Security Assessment concluded that the UK enjoys high levels of food security. It details that the best guarantor of UK food security is an open trading system with other countries, with farmers at home and overseas being able to respond to market price signals. The current CAP is an impediment to both and we will be seeking reform in the forthcoming negotiations.

Forestry Commission: Land

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many acres of land the Forestry Commission  (a) owns,  (b) manages and  (c) otherwise has responsibility for.

James Paice: The public forest estate is owned by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and placed at the disposal of the Forestry Commissioners under section (3)1 of the Forestry Act 1967. It comprises 18% of total forest area in England; 13% is owned by other public bodies and 69% is in private hands.
	As at 31 March 2010 the public forest estate in England comprised 198,298 hectares (490,005 acres) of freehold land and 57,692 hectares (142,560 acres) of leasehold land. In addition the Forestry Commission manages 1,701 hectares (4,203 acres) of land in England under long-term management agreements.

Landfill: Refrigerators

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to reduce the number of retail refrigerated display cabinets disposed of in landfill sites.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
	The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 already minimise the amount of discarded electrical and electronic equipment going to landfill. The Regulations place obligations on the producers and business end-users of a wide range of waste electrical equipment, including retail refrigerated display cabinets. These include the financing of the separate collection, subsequent treatment, re-use, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal of such equipment when it becomes waste. Treatment and recycling facilities are approved and regulated by the Environment Agency to ensure compliance with strict standards that minimise the environmental impacts of their operations and the maximisation of recycling rates.

National Parks Authorities

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had on National Parks becoming responsible for economic development of the areas they cover.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is currently conducting a consultation on the governance arrangements for the national parks. Following this I will be considering proposals for changes to the way these areas are looked after, which may include the future responsibilities of the authorities.

Nature Conservation: Crime

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were  (a) cautioned,  (b) proceeded against and  (c) convicted of an offence under the (i) Protection of Badgers Act 1992, (ii) Deer Act 1991, (iii) Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 and (iv) Hunting Act 2004 in each police force area between 2004 and 2009.

Richard Benyon: I have placed the data requested in the Library.

Rural Areas: Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to encourage the use of liquid petroleum gas as a road fuel in rural areas.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	A reduced rate of duty is applied to liquid petroleum gas for road use in all parts of the country. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 October 2010,  Official Report, column 149W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain).

Rural Development Agency

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what transitional arrangements she plans to put in place for applicants for funds from the Rural Development Programme for England following the ending of regional development agencies.

James Paice: DEFRA will ensure that delivery arrangements for the Rural Development Programme for England continue to be in place following the abolition of the regional development agencies, based on a stronger national lead by DEFRA for the remainder of the programme period to 2013, and will minimise disruption for potential beneficiaries.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments: Primates

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of overseas companies designated as breeding and supply establishments to supply non-human primates to the UK for the purposes of scientific research that use wild populations of non-human primates for breeding purposes.

Lynne Featherstone: Of the overseas breeding centres supplying animals to the UK during the past two years we understand that two use wild populations of non-human primates for breeding purposes.

Animal Experiments: Primates

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many companies in Mauritius are designated as breeding and supply establishments to supply non-human primates to the UK for the purposes of scientific research.

Lynne Featherstone: Of the overseas breeding centres supplying animals to the United Kingdom during the past two years two are located in Mauritius.

Crime: Statistics

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms she plans to put in place for the collection of crime data for regular beat meetings.

Nick Herbert: The Government are committed to replacing bureaucratic accountability with democratic accountability. We are introducing Police and Crime Commissioners and we will ensure the public have the information they need to hold their force and Commissioner to account. The coalition agreement includes a commitment to ensuring that crime data are published at a level that allows the public to see what is happening on their streets from January 2011. These data are held locally by all police forces and the Home Office is working to develop an online platform which allows the public to easily access the data in an open and standardised format, alongside street-level crime maps.

Entry Clearances: Diplomatic Service

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has for the future of the diplomatic domestic visa system.

Damian Green: We plan to review next year the current immigration rules in relation to persons, including diplomats, who wish to bring individuals from overseas to the UK to work for them in their private household in a domestic capacity.

European Arrest Warrants

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people have been sent  (a) from the UK to each other EU member state and  (b) to the UK from each other EU member state under the European Arrest Warrant since its inception;
	(2)  how many people sent  (a) from the UK to each other EU member state and  (b) to the UK from each other EU member state under the European Arrest Warrant who were subsequently convicted have received a custodial sentence longer than (i) one year, (ii) five years, (iii) 10 years and (iv) 20 years;
	(3)  how many people sent  (a) from the UK to each other EU member state and  (b) to the UK from each other EU member state under the European Arrest Warrant were subsequently (i) acquitted and (ii) convicted.

Nick Herbert: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (for Scotland) are the designated authorities in the UK responsible for processing European arrest warrants (EAWs). Extraditions under the EAW process are known as 'surrenders'.
	The following tables show the total numbers of people  (a) surrendered from the UK (excluding Scotland) and  (b) surrendered to the UK (including Scotland) since 2004. It has not been possible to break these data down by member state prior to April 2009 as this would involve a manual examination of all SOCA case records for that period, which would incur disproportionate cost. In April 2009 SOCA introduced a new IT system and the number of surrenders has been broken down by member state for the financial year 2009-10.
	It is not possible to answer questions 15106 and 15107. SOCA's involvement in an EAW case ceases at the point of surrender, and SOCA is not informed of the outcome of any subsequent criminal proceedings.
	
		
			   European arrest warrants 
			  2009-10  ( business year )  
			 Surrenders from the UK 699 
			 Surrenders to the UK 71 
			   
			  2008-09  ( business year )  
			 Surrenders from the UK 516 
			 Surrenders to the UK 88 
			   
			  2007-08  ( business year )  
			 Surrenders from the UK 415 
			 Surrenders to the UK 107 
			   
			  2006-07  ( business year )  
			 Surrenders from the UK 178 
			 Surrenders to the UK 84 
			   
			  2006 January to March  
			 Surrenders from the UK 25 
			 Surrenders to the UK 15 
			   
			  2005 (calendar year)  
			 Surrenders from the UK 77 
			 Surrenders to the UK 63 
			   
			 2004  (calendar year)  
			 Surrenders from the UK 24 
			 Surrenders to the UK 19 
		
	
	
		
			  EAW surrenders from the UK, 2009-10 
			   Totals 
			 Austria 1 
			 Belgium 6 
			 Bulgaria 1 
			 Cyprus 4 
			 Czech republic 34 
			 Denmark 0 
			 Estonia 7 
			 Finland 1 
			 France 19 
			 Germany 21 
			 Greece 1 
			 Hungary 8 
			 Ireland 19 
			 Italy 10 
			 Latvia 15 
			 Lithuania 55 
			 Luxembourg 1 
			 Malta 2 
			 The Netherlands 18 
			 Poland 425 
			 Portugal 3 
			 Romania 18 
			 Slovakia 7 
			 Slovenia 1 
			 Spain 16 
			 Sweden 6 
			  699 
		
	
	
		
			   By number 
			 Poland 425 
			 Lithuania 55 
			 Czech republic 34 
			 Germany 21 
			 France 19 
			 Ireland 19 
			 The Netherlands 18 
			 Romania 18 
			 Spain 16 
			 Latvia 15 
			 Italy 10 
			 Hungary 8 
			 Estonia 7 
			 Slovakia 7 
			 Belgium 6 
			 Sweden 6 
			 Cyprus 4 
			 Portugal 3 
			 Malta 2 
			 Austria 1 
			 Bulgaria 1 
			 Finland 1 
			 Greece 1 
			 Luxembourg 1 
			 Slovenia 1 
			 Denmark 0 
			  699 
		
	
	
		
			  EAW surrenders to the UK, 2009-10 
			   Totals 
			 Cyprus 2 
			 France 6 
			 Germany 1 
			 Greece 2 
			 Ireland 11 
			 Italy 1 
			 Malta 1 
			 The Netherlands 17 
			 Poland 5 
			 Portugal 2 
			 Romania 2 
			 Spain 20 
			 Sweden 1 
			  71 
		
	
	
		
			   By number 
			 Spain 20 
			 The Netherlands 17 
			 Ireland 11 
			 France 6 
			 Poland 5 
			 Cyprus 2 
			 Greece 2 
			 Portugal 2 
			 Romania 2 
			 Germany 1 
			 Italy 1 
			 Malta 1 
			 Sweden 1 
			  71

European Investigation Order

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement of 27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 881, on the European Investigation Order, if she will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence on the European Investigation Order between her Department and  (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and  (b) each police force which is a member of ACPO.

Nick Herbert: I have placed the following in the House of Commons Library:
	correspondence received by the Home Office from the Association of Chief Police Officers;
	an e-mail sent by the Home Office which requested the views of International Liaison Officers on the European Investigation Order; and
	a summary table of e-mail correspondence received in response to this.

Identity and Passport Service: Newport (Gwent)

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether she has assessed the merits of short-time working for all staff at the Newport Passport Office as an alternative to the proposed reduction in the number of jobs at that office;
	(2)  whether the impact assessment for the closure of the Newport Passport Office will take into account the levels of unemployment in neighbouring areas from which the staff at the passport office are drawn; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The offer of a shorter working week for staff would not absorb the excess capacity, in terms of both people and the physical estate, that exists within the Identity and Passport Service (IPS). In order for IPS to continue to deliver value for money, the proposed restructuring of the passport application processing centres requires that savings are achieved through the closure of the centre at Newport and the corresponding reductions in staff.
	The Impact Assessment will make use of relevant data from the StatsWales website and the Longitudinal Labour Force Survey and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings compiled by the Office of National Statistics. Data will be applied on a regional basis.

Illegal Immigrants: Deportation

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants have been removed in each month since May 2010.

Damian Green: The following table shows the number of removals and voluntary departures for May and June 2010. Data for July 2010 to September 2010 will be available from 25 November 2010 when data for the third quarter of 2010 are published.
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Removals and voluntary departures( 1,2) 
			   Number of departures( 2) 
			   Enforced removals and voluntary departures 
			   Enforced removals and notified voluntary departures( 4)  Assisted voluntary returns( 5)  Other voluntary departures( 6)  Total  Non-asylum cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed( 7)  Grand total 
			 May 1,730 360 1,440 3,530 1,655 5,180 
			 June 1,705 395 1,105 3,200 1,505 4,710 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest five and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) Provisional figures. Figures will under record due to data cleansing and data matching exercises that take place after the extracts are taken. (3) Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken. (4) Includes persons leaving under facilitated return schemes. (5) Persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the international organisation for migration. May include some on-entry cases and some cases where enforcement action has been initiated. (6) Persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (7) Includes removals performed by immigration officers at ports using enforcement powers and cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls.

Immigration Controls

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the immigration cap does not adversely affect the capacity of companies to recruit staff from outside the EU with skills not available from the UK workforce; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Under the current interim limit, we are monitoring each sponsoring employer's allocations closely and reviewing them as appropriate. Employers can request to sponsor additional migrant workers above their allocation. On 1 November, the UK Border Agency published refined criteria for handling these requests, to give employers greater certainty.
	Regarding the full limit that will be introduced from next year, the Government carried out a full public consultation over the summer and are assessing the responses.

Immigration Controls: English Language

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account her Department takes of the proficiency in English of the  (a) spouses and  (b) dependants of applicants for (i) British citizenship, (ii) leave to remain and (iii) asylum in determining the outcome of such applications.

Damian Green: holding answer 8 November 2010
	Those applying for naturalisation as a British citizen are expected to demonstrate that they have sufficient knowledge of English and of life in the United Kingdom. Those applying for citizenship through registration routes, which include children under 18, do not have to meet this requirement.
	Those applying for settlement also need to demonstrate the knowledge of life requirement unless they are applying under a category for which this is not required.
	A person can show that he or she meets this requirement by either passing a citizenship test, or attending a course which teaches English for Speakers of other Languages using citizenship-based materials. The proficiency in English of a person's spouse and dependents are not taken into account when considering an application, although if they wish to apply for citizenship in their own right they will need to demonstrate that they meet this requirement.
	From 29 November 2010 we will require those applying to come to or stay in the UK as the spouse or partner of a British citizen or person settled here to meet an English language requirement.
	For citizenship, settlement, and applying for entry as a spouse or partner there are exemptions to the language requirement, such as where the person has a mental or physical condition which would make it unreasonable to expect them to learn English or is aged 65 or over.
	For spouses and dependants applying for leave to remain under the points based system routes, there is no English language requirement.
	Similarly there is no English language requirement for spouses or dependants of refugees who want to join them in the UK.

Mental Health

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Department's policy responsibilities contained in the Foresight Report on Mental Capital and Wellbeing by the Government Office for Science; if she will ensure that her Department takes steps to promote wellbeing; if she will ensure that her Department's policy development process takes account of psychological research into subjective wellbeing; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 8 November 2010
	 Officials in the Home Office reviewed the report at the time of its publication in 2008 and noted that poor mental capacity or well-being could have serious ramifications for criminal behaviour, although causal linkages are not necessarily established. However, many of the solutions lie outside the Home Office remit and we will continue to work with other Departments in this area.
	When developing policy we consider psychological research. For example in considering drug policy, the mental health of substance misusers, in particular young people, is particularly relevant. We seek expert advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to inform our policy development of the latest psychological and mental health research and we include the impact upon victims when estimating the costs of crime and of terrorist incidents. These estimates are used within the Department and more widely as inputs into policy appraisal and evaluation (for instance, in impact assessments for new policy proposals and in business cases for procurement projects).
	Earlier this year the Home Office appointed a psychologist, nominated by the British Psychological Society, to its Science Advisory Committee to help ensure that research in psychology is considered as it develops its science and research programmes.

Police

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she made of the number and proportion of police officers aged  (a) 18 to 21,  (b) 22 to 25,  (c) 26 to 29,  (d) 30 to 39,  (e) 40 to 49,  (f) 50 to 55,  (g) 56 to 60 and  (h) over 60 years in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average age was of  (a) male and (b) female police officers (i) nationally and (ii) in each constabulary who retired in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what the average age was of  (a) male and  (b) female police officers who joined the police force (i) nationally and (ii) in each constabulary in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  what the average age was of police officers who joined the police force  (a) nationally and  (b) in each constabulary in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(5)  what the average age was of police officers  (a) nationally and  (b) in each constabulary who retired in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The available data are provided in the tables. The latest available period is the financial year 2009-10. Figures are collected centrally in the following age categories: 25 and under, 26 to 40, 41 to 55 and over 55.
	Figures are not collected centrally on average age or by gender. Figures are also not collected centrally on age of joiners or on age of officers who retired.
	
		
			  Police officer strength by force and age group, March 2010( 1,2,3) 
			   25 and under  26 to 40  41 to 55 
			   Number  Proportion  (%)  Number  Proportion  (%)  Number  Proportion  (%) 
			 Avon and Somerset 113 3 1,720 51 1,519 45 
			 Bedfordshire 108 9 662 52 480 38 
			 Cambridgeshire 121 8 763 51 597 40 
			 Cheshire 93 4 1,199 55 880 40 
			 Cleveland 91 5 925 53 716 41 
			 Cumbria 65 5 574 45 615 49 
			 Derbyshire 129 6 1,029 49 936 44 
			 Devon and Cornwall 94 3 1,737 48 1,770 49 
			 Dorset 42 3 824 54 651 43 
			 Durham 31 2 770 50 727 47 
			 Dyfed-Powys 64 5 575 47 572 47 
			 Essex 519 14 1,773 48 1,345 37 
			 Gloucestershire 64 5 689 51 581 43 
			 Greater Manchester 509 6 4,270 52 3,408 41 
			 Gwent 52 4 787 54 618 42 
			 Hampshire 129 3 2,088 55 1,586 41 
			 Hertfordshire 194 9 1,226 56 740 34 
			 Humberside 88 4 980 47 1,015 48 
			 Kent 339 9 2,089 54 1,397 36 
			 Lancashire 220 6 1,938 52 1,534 41 
			 Leicestershire 141 6 1,220 52 972 41 
			 Lincolnshire 83 7 562 46 565 46 
			 London, City of 36 4 389 45 419 49 
			 Merseyside 392 9 2,118 46 2,008 44 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,263 7 17,528 52 13,623 40 
			 Norfolk 113 7 856 50 720 42 
			 Northamptonshire 101 7 692 50 574 42 
			 Northumbria 215 5 2,119 50 1,885 45 
			 North Wales 70 4 768 48 763 47 
			 North Yorkshire 53 4 737 49 712 47 
			 Nottinghamshire 143 6 1,265 52 1,023 42 
			 South Wales 101 3 1,692 53 1,376 43 
			 South Yorkshire 80 3 1,476 49 1,420 47 
			 Staffordshire 57 3 1,137 52 991 45 
			 Suffolk 54 4 652 51 562 44 
			 Surrey 160 8 1,049 54 696 36 
			 Sussex 298 9 1,793 55 1,171 36 
			 Thames Valley 426 9 2,363 52 1,689 37 
			 Warwickshire 32 3 489 50 456 46 
			 West Mercia 111 5 1,165 48 1,126 46 
			 West Midlands 686 8 4,883 56 3,135 36 
			 West Yorkshire 365 6 3,114 53 2,337 40 
			 Wiltshire 43 4 537 45 611 51 
			 Total 9,088 6 75,222 52 60,521 41 
		
	
	
		
			   Over 55  Total 
			   Number  Proportion  (%)  Headcount Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 25 1 3,377 
			 Bedfordshire 15 1 1,265 
			 Cambridgeshire 12 1 1,493 
			 Cheshire 13 1 2,185 
			 Cleveland 10 1 1,742 
			 Cumbria 10 1 1,264 
			 Derbyshire 16 1 2,110 
			 Devon and Cornwall 31 1 3,632 
			 Dorset 11 1 1,528 
			 Durham 4 0 1,532 
			 Dyfed-Powys 4 0 1,215 
			 Essex 37 1 3,674 
			 Gloucestershire 8 1 1,342 
			 Greater Manchester 29 0 8,216 
			 Gwent 9 1 1,466 
			 Hampshire 27 1 3,830 
			 Hertfordshire 17 1 2,177 
			 Humberside 23 1 2,106 
			 Kent 37 1 3,862 
			 Lancashire 7 0 3,699 
			 Leicestershire 18 1 2,351 
			 Lincolnshire 8 1 1,218 
			 London, City of 19 2 863 
			 Merseyside 42 1 4,560 
			 Metropolitan Police 406 1 33,820 
			 Norfolk 11 1 1,700 
			 Northamptonshire 10 1 1,377 
			 Northumbria 12 0 4,231 
			 North Wales 8 0 1,609 
			 North Yorkshire 5 0 1,507 
			 Nottinghamshire 20 1 2,451 
			 South Wales 20 1 3,189 
			 South Yorkshire 17 1 2,993 
			 Staffordshire 18 1 2,203 
			 Suffolk 9 1 1,277 
			 Surrey 23 1 1,928 
			 Sussex 23 1 3,285 
			 Thames Valley 38 1 4,516 
			 Warwickshire 8 1 985 
			 West Mercia 22 1 2,424 
			 West Midlands 61 1 8,765 
			 West Yorkshire 40 1 5,856 
			 Wiltshire 14 1 1,205 
			 Total 1,197 1 146,028 
			 (1) Figures are provisional and have not been verified by forces. (2) Figures are on a headcount basis. Force totals will therefore not match published figures, which are on a full-time equivalent basis. (3) Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number and therefore they may not appear to sum to 100%.

Police: Unidentified Bodies

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unidentified bodies were held by police forces in England and Wales on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: On 21 September 2010, the National Policing Improvement Agency's (NPIA) Missing Persons Bureau database Hermes held 847 open unidentified cases that are being investigated by English and Welsh police forces. This includes 636 unidentified body cases, 68 cases where the remains of bodies were found, or body parts were found, 49 cases where the persons were found alive but could not be identified, and 94 cases where articles are found indicating a disappearance, for example, tents, bicycles, and articles of clothing.
	These figures reflect data held centrally on that date. In accordance with the code of practice on the collection of missing persons data, police forces are required to notify unidentified people, bodies and body parts to the bureau within 48 hours. Consequently bodies which are identified within 48 hours may not be reported to the bureau.

UK Border Agency: Airlines

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which airlines have declined to carry passengers being deported from the UK by the UK Border Agency.

Damian Green: holding answer 8 November 2010
	Airlines have a legal obligation to carry passengers being removed from the UK under the 1971 Immigration Act. This includes cases where the airline has been identified as the inbound carrier and cases where removal is to be carried out at public expense.
	Historically, almost all airlines will have refused to carry an individual on the basis of highly disruptive behaviour and/or violence prior to take off. The captain of the aircraft has authority to take that decision under the Tokyo Convention. It is not possible therefore to provide an exhaustive list given the volume of enforced removals effected by UK Border Agency (UKBA) (19,570 during 2009). In cases where an individual is offloaded, UKBA will work with the airline to rearrange the removal, including looking at alternative carriers, additional escorts, or the use of charters.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given to changing the rear wheels of the Wolfhound vehicle to a half-track for the purposes of increasing performance during the winter in Afghanistan.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence is continually evaluating the performance of all vehicle fleets. There currently is no requirement to adapt the Wolfhound's capability by designing a half-track variant which would not offer a performance advantage over the range of vehicles currently deployed on operations in Afghanistan.

Army: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans he has to transfer the Brigade Headquarters of the 19th Light Brigade from Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, to Great Britain; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to  (a) withdraw soldiers from Ballykinler Army base and  (b) relocate them to Great Britain; and what plans he has for the future role of the base.

Nick Harvey: As announced by the Prime Minister on 19 October 2010 as part of the strategic defence and security review the Army will undergo a major restructuring. The transformation over the next 10 years to Future Force 2020 will provide five self-supporting multi-role brigades and one specialist brigade, reducing by one the number of deployable brigades.
	Detailed work is now under way to consider how this will be implemented. All areas of the Army and its estate requirements are being scrutinised, and it is therefore too early to say what the outcome will be for specific units, bases and individuals.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complete Chevaline warheads were manufactured at the Atomic Weapons Establishment; and what the maximum size was of the total stockpile of complete Chevaline warheads.

Liam Fox: We have no plans to publish historical information on the number of Chevaline nuclear warheads in the UK stockpile.

Chinook Helicopters

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of procuring the 12 new Chinook helicopters referred to in the strategic defence and security review.

Peter Luff: The cost of the 12 new Chinook helicopters will be determined at the project's main gate, the timing of which is subject to the ongoing planning round.

Defence Support Group: Redundancy

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 28 October 2010,  Official Report, column 14WS, on staff reductions, by how many he expects the staff complement at each location to be reduced by 2013.

Peter Luff: Work is currently in hand to identify the number of staff reductions required at those Defence Support Group sites likely to be affected by the announcement. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is concluded.

Defence: Communication

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to reduce his Department's expenditure on media and communications;
	(2)  whether the steps he intends to take to reduce his Department's expenditure on media and communications will include redundancies.

Liam Fox: We are taking a number of steps to further reduce expenditure on Defence media and communications. These include reducing the amount we spend on marketing and advertising as part of a Government-wide freeze, merging some functions, reducing the number of websites and internal publications, and deleting posts dealing with lower priority work.
	Details of the reductions in Defence manpower set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review White Paper, will be developed as part of the wider departmental implementation of SDSR and the work of the Defence Reform Unit.
	The scale of post reductions across the Ministry of Defence will require redundancy or early release schemes for both military and civilian personnel. It is not possible at this stage to say whether it will be necessary to include media and communications personnel within those schemes.

Defence: Procurement

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect of reductions in his Department's budget on  (a) Rolls-Royce and  (b) other companies and their suppliers.

Peter Luff: The industrial implications of the key strategic defence and security review choices were given careful consideration. We have not made a specific assessment of the impact of the reduction in the Department's budget on Rolls-Royce or any other individual companies.
	As part of the SDSR implementation process, we are now engaging in an extensive programme of commercial negotiations, some of which will lead to the cancellation of contracts. This work will focus on the areas where there have been the most significant changes in the SDSR, but it is expected to involve all of the Ministry of Defence's key suppliers.

European Strike Fighter

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) civil servants and  (b) military personnel are assigned to the procurement of the Eurofighter Typhoon programme.

Peter Luff: As at 4 November 2010, the Defence Equipment and Support (DE and S) Typhoon Team has the following numbers of civil servants and military personnel assigned to management of the procurement and through-life support of the Eurofighter Typhoon.
	
		
			   Number of personnel 
			 Civilian 160 
			 Military 86 
			 Total 246

Guided Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of adjustments to the D5 Missile extension programme consequent on the proposed reduction in the number of missiles.

Liam Fox: An assessment is under way of the financial implications for the D5 missile extension programme arising from the Strategic Defence and Security Review decisions. It is, therefore, too early to provide a meaningful estimate.

Nuclear Weapons: Expenditure

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under which budgetary headings he expects the proposed reduction in expenditure on the nuclear weapons programme to be made.

Liam Fox: The £750 million referred to in the Strategic Defence and Security Review is split between submarine platform costs and the nuclear weapons programme and is planned to occur across the first four financial years of the spending review period, financial years 2011-12 to 2015-16.

Service Personnel: Reductions

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the First Sea Lord on  (a) meeting current commitments and  (b) the planned reduction in the number of Royal Navy personnel;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Chief of the General Staff on  (a) meeting current commitments and  (b) the planned reduction in the number of Army personnel;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Chief of the Air Staff on  (a) meeting current commitments and  (b) the planned reduction in the number of Royal Air Force personnel;

Liam Fox: The full range of issues associated with the Strategic Defence and Security Review were discussed in the Defence Strategy Group, which included all five Chiefs, including the First Sea Lord, the Chief of the General Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with  (a) members of the armed forces,  (b) representatives of the defence manufacturing industry,  (c) academic institutions and  (d) other organisations during the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Liam Fox: I invited contributions to the Strategic Defence and Security Review in July 2010. The Ministry of Defence received over 6,000 responses from MPs, members of the armed forces, public servants within and beyond defence, industry, academics and the public.
	The MOD also engaged a wide variety of external organisations during the SDSR, including NATO, principal UK and international think tanks and academic institutes, NGOs, industry organisations and service veterans' and families' organisations.

Trident Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending the life of the current fleet of Vanguard submarines to 2028.

Liam Fox: Detailed costings are at an early stage, but to accommodate the deferral of the successor submarine's in-service date from 2024 to 2028, we expect to spend around an additional £1.2 billion in maintaining the Vanguard Class.
	The overall impact of the changes identified by the value for money study and reported in the strategic defence and security review will reduce costs by £3.2 billion over the next 10 years.

Warships

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the likely effects of the proposed reduction of the number of hulls in the surface fleet on the Royal Navy's capacity to discharge current commitments.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Peter Luff) gave on 26 October 2010,  Official Report, column 204W, to the hon. Member for Glenrothes (Lindsay Roy).

JUSTICE

Driving Offences

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prosecutions brought in respect of the death of a pedestrian in an accident involving a  (a) bicycle and  (b) motor vehicle resulted in a conviction in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Data reported centrally do not include the circumstances of each case. For example statistical information available on motoring offences do not identify if the victim was a pedestrian or, other than where specified in the statute, the type of vehicle involved in the offence.

Arrest Warrants

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many arrest warrant applications were made to district judges by private individuals in the period 1 January 1995 to 1 January 2010 in respect of an offence under  (a) section 1 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 (endangering safety at aerodrome),  (b) sections 9 to 14 of that Act (hijacking of ships etc) and  (c) sections 1 to 3 of the United Nations Personnel Act 1997; and how many such applications were (i) refused and (ii) granted in respect of suspects of each nationality;
	(2)  how many arrest warrant applications were made to district judges by private individuals in the period 1 January 1995 to 1 January 2010 in respect of an offence under  (a) section 1, 2 or 6 of the Aviation Security Act 1982 (hijacking),  (b) sections 1 to 2A of the Nuclear Material (Offences) Act 1983 (offences relating to nuclear material) and  (c) section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (torture); and how many such applications were (i) refused and (ii) granted in respect of suspects of each nationality;
	(3)  how many arrest warrant applications were made to District Judges by private individuals in the period 1 January 1995 to 1 January 2010 in respect of  (a) offences relating to piracy or an offence under section 2 of the Piracy Act 1837 (piracy where murder is attempted),  (b) an offence under section 1 of the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 (grave breaches of Geneva conventions) and  (c) an offence under section 1 of Taking Hostages Act 1982 (hostage-taking); and how many such warrants were (i) refused and (ii) granted in respect of suspects of each nationality.

Kenneth Clarke: The information sought is not recorded. However, such applications are generally heard at the City of Westminster magistrates court, and staff there are aware of ten applications for arrest warrants in respect of universal jurisdiction offences in the last ten years. It is public knowledge that two applications were granted. Six of the applications related to allegations of grave breaches of the Geneva conventions under the 1957 Act, and four to allegations of torture under the 1988 Act.

Arrest Warrants

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which  (a) individuals,  (b) organisations and  (c) foreign Governments were invited to comment on his Department's note of 20 March 2010 on arrest warrants-universal jurisdiction;
	(2)  what  (a) individuals,  (b) organisations and  (c) foreign Governments responded to his Department's note of 20 March 2010, on arrest warrants-universal jurisdiction; and whether he plans to publish those responses.

Kenneth Clarke: The following organisations and individuals were invited to comment on the note of March 2010:
	the Lord Chief Justice
	the Senior Presiding Judge
	the Senior District Judge (Chief Magistrate)
	the Justices' Clerks' Society
	the Criminal Bar Association
	the Law Society
	Liberty
	JUSTICE
	Amnesty International
	the District Bench (Magistrates Courts) Legal Committee
	the Jewish Leadership Council.
	Comments were received from:
	the Justices' Clerks' Society
	the Criminal Bar Association
	Liberty
	JUSTICE
	the Jewish Leadership Council
	Hickman and Rose, Solicitors
	the Board of Deputies of British Jews
	Labour Friends of Israel
	Middle East Monitor
	the Palestinian Forum of Britain.
	The comments have not been published but have been made available on request.
	No foreign Governments were invited to comment and none did so.

Arrest Warrants

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings he has had with representatives of foreign Governments on universal jurisdiction and arrest warrants since 20 March 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: I have had no such meetings.

Chief Coroner

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on public opinion on his proposals to close the Office of the Chief Coroner; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: Following my statement of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 37-38WS, I met with organisations and charities that have an interest in the coroners system to discuss the proposals for reform and the abolition of the Office of Chief Coroner. I am committed to continue working with them in taking forward our proposals to improve the system for the benefit of bereaved people. I have written to the hon. Lady in response to her letter to me of 21 October 2010 with further detail on our proposed reforms to the service. This was one of a number of letters I have received on this matter.

Community Orders

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 516-20W, on sentencing, what estimate he has made of the average time between a community sentence being issued for an offence of each type and the recipient starting their designated programme of action.

Crispin Blunt: Waiting times for designated programmes are managed locally by each probation trust. This information is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by obtaining information held on offender files or on local data systems, validating it, and then collating it in a common format in order to provide a response.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether he plans to bring forward proposals to change the categories of people eligible for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme;
	(2)  whether he plans to change the monetary value of awards made under the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme;
	(3)  whether the Government have commissioned research into options for the reform of the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme;
	(4)  what plans he has for the future funding of the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme in each of the next four years.

Crispin Blunt: The Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme is currently subject to review. No decisions have been made.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  in respect of how many cases under consideration by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority the claimant had not been notified of a resolution on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of those cases had been filed more than  (a) six,  (b) 12,  (c) 18 and  (d) 24 months prior to that date;
	(2)  how many compensation awards to victims of crime are outstanding; and how many such people have been waiting for such awards for more than  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) nine months and  (d) one year.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Outstanding cases as at 30 Sept 2010 49,667 
			 Cases less than six months 24,320 
			 Greater than six but less than 12 months 9,265 
			 Greater than 12 but less than 18 months 6,817 
			 Greater than 18 but less than 24 months 2,448 
			 Greater than 24 months 6,817

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the monetary value is of outstanding compensation payments to victims of crime.

Crispin Blunt: The monetary value of outstanding compensation payments to victims of crime is £598.6 million.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many award decisions made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in the last 12 months have been referred to the Tribunals Service (Criminal Injuries Compensation); and how many such tribunals have  (a) overturned and  (b) amended such an award decision.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is set out in the following table and relates to tariff cases which have been referred to the Tribunals Service.
	
		
			  Number 
			 Cases appealed in last 12 months 3,192 
			 Heard 2,909 
			 Overturned 1,341 
			 Amended 324

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he made of the mean average compensation payment paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each year since its inception.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Mean cases values (including all cases resulting in a nil payment) FY End 
			   £ 
			 1997 1,411 
			 1998 1,402 
			 1999 1,477 
			 2000 1,494 
			 2001 1,606 
			 2002 1,719 
			 2003 1,975 
			 2004 2,203 
			 2005 2,409 
			 2006 2,537 
			 2007 2,757 
			 2008 2,972 
			 2009 3,637

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review in respect of  (a) his Department,  (b) its non-departmental public bodies and  (c) other public bodies which are dependent on his Department for funding.

Kenneth Clarke: My Department is developing firm plans to deliver its priorities within the funding baselines announced in the spending review. We will be consulting widely on proposals for change but as yet no internal budgets have been set.
	Preliminary estimates suggest that the Department will lose around 14,000-15,000 posts, including a significant reduction in our headquarters and administrative areas. Where possible, staff reduction will be through natural turnover and voluntary redundancy, avoiding compulsory redundancies if possible.
	My Department's response to the spending review marks the beginning of a programme of radical change which will fundamentally reform the way justice is provided by 2015. I am confident that the process will lead to a transformed Ministry of Justice which is efficient, transparent, and affordable.

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of staff redundancy in each of the next four years.

Kenneth Clarke: My Department is developing firm plans to deliver its priorities within the funding baselines announced in the spending review. We will be consulting widely on proposals for change but as yet no internal budgets have been set. We are therefore currently unable to provide estimates of the costs of staff redundancy for the years in question.
	Where possible, staff reduction will be through natural turnover and voluntary redundancy, avoiding compulsory redundancies if possible.

Employment Tribunals Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 350-1W, on the Employment Tribunals Service, how much was paid out in compensation in each category in each such year.

Jonathan Djanogly: Compensation awards are recorded by the Tribunals Service for the discrimination and unfair dismissal jurisdictions. For other types of claims any award by the Employment Tribunal will be a statutory entitlement, such as a redundancy payment or unpaid paid wages, rather than an award of compensation. Table 1 shows the compensation awards of which the Tribunal is aware for the financial years 2007-08 to 2009-10.
	Further, statistical information published annually by the Tribunals Service includes a breakdown of the maximum awards, median awards and average awards in each type of case where such data are recorded centrally. To set the information in Table 1 in context, Table 2 shows the median awards made in each jurisdiction, in each of the three relevant financial years. In 2009-10, the median award across all jurisdictions for which the Tribunals Service collates data was £5,056.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total compensation awarded in discrimination and unfair dismissal claims in financial years 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  £ 
			   Financial year 
			  Jurisdiction  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Unfair Dismissal 20,564,500 19,819,100 26,319,300 
			 Race Discrimination 946,800 2,183,900 1,263,700 
			 Sex Discrimination 1,700,700 1,907,300 2,924,900 
			 Disability Discrimination 1,796,100 2,206,000 3,802,300 
			 Religious Belief Discrimination 6,400 31,800 34,200 
			 Sexual Orientation Discrimination 60,600 94,700 305,800 
			 Age Discrimination 73,300 186,200 306,100 
			 Total 25,148,500 26,429,100 34,956,200 
			  Notes: 1. The compensation figures are those of which the Tribunal is aware, The Tribunals keeps records on compensation awarded for the discrimination and Unfair dismissal jurisdictions. 2. All judgments are held in the public registry in Bury St Edmunds or Glasgow. 3. All figures are independently rounded and thus may not add to totals. The following conventions have been used: Values from 100 to 999 are rounded to nearest 10; Values of 1,000 and over are rounded to the nearest 100.  Source: ET Annual Reports 2007-08 to 2009-10 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Median compensation awarded in discrimination and unfair dismissal claim in financial years 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  £ 
			   Financial year 
			  Jurisdiction  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Unfair Dismissal 4,000 4,269 4,903 
			 Race Discrimination 8,120 5,172 5,392 
			 Sex Discrimination 5,200 7,000 6,275 
			 Disability Discrimination 8,363 7,226 8,553 
			 Religious Belief Discrimination (1)- 4,291 5,000 
			 Sexual Orientation Discrimination 2,103 15,351 5,000 
			 Age Discrimination 1,526 3,000 5,868 
			 (1) Not recorded.  Notes: 1. Compensation awarded is that of which the tribunal is aware and entered onto IT systems. For awards in cases of Discrimination there is no statutory cap. 2. The Tribunals keeps records on compensation awarded for the discrimination and Unfair dismissal jurisdictions. 3. All judgments are held in the public registry in Bury St Edmunds or Glasgow. 4. Religious Belief Discrimination: there were only two awards recorded centrally in FY 2007-08; therefore, the average and median values are the same, £3,203.  Source: ET Annual Reports 2007-08 to 2009-10

Employment Tribunals Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 350-1W, on the Employment Tribunals Service, whether his Department holds information on the  (a) legal costs incurred by claimants whose claims were (i) upheld and (ii) dismissed and  (b) the proportion of such costs which were paid by the employer in each case in each such year.

Jonathan Djanogly: Information in relation to legal costs incurred by claimants and the proportion of such costs which were paid by the employer is not held by the Tribunals Service.
	In March the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a report in March, the 'Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications', details of which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/10-756-findings-from-seta-2008
	This includes some data on legal costs for both respondents and claimants.

Employment Tribunals Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 350-51W, on the Employment Tribunals Service, what estimate has been made of the number of complaints in each category classified as vexatious that were dismissed.

Jonathan Djanogly: Information in relation to the number of complaints that were classified as vexatious and were dismissed by the Employment Tribunal is not collated and held centrally by the Tribunals Service. The information can be provided only at a disproportionate cost by manually checking individual case files and records.

Employment Tribunals Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 350-1W, on the Employment Tribunals Service, what the average length of time was of a hearing in each category.

Jonathan Djanogly: The following table gives the overall average time taken, in minutes, for a hearing at an employment tribunal, and a jurisdictional average. This information is management information and is used for internal purposes only; it has not been validated and relies on manual data input.
	
		
			  Average hearing times, in minutes, for claims at an employment tribunal 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  Minutes 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  All claims
			 Average length of hearing 246 250 224 
			 
			  By jurisdiction
			 Unfair dismissal 276 275 251 
			 Unauthorised deduction from wages (formerly Wages Act) 197 193 172 
			 Breach of contract 217 208 187 
			 Sex discrimination 266 285 284 
			 Working time directive 204 193 173 
			 Redundancy pay 130 120 110 
			 Disability discrimination 255 264 232 
			 Redundancy-failure to inform and consult 109 154 178 
			 Equal pay 189 242 283 
			 Race discrimination 390 438 368 
			 Written statement of terms and conditions 202 205 195 
			 Written statement of reasons for dismissal 226 291 224 
			 Written pay statement 175 172 164 
			 Transfer of an undertaking-failure to inform and consult 246 214 219 
			 Suffer a detriment/unfair dismissal-pregnancy 250 227 235 
			 Part time workers regulations 314 248 188 
			 National minimum wage 187 231 254 
			 Discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief 422 424 370 
			 Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation 338 276 258 
			 Age discrimination 212 260 237 
			 Others = All other jurisdictions combined 352 383 326

Foreign Nationals: Bereavement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what budget his Department has allocated for helping foreign nationals bereaved by murder and manslaughter while in the UK in 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: Lead responsibility for ensuring provision of support services and assistance to victims of crime rests with the Ministry of Justice.
	In 2009-10 the Ministry of Justice provided funding of £38.2 million to Victim Support to support their work across England and Wales. Victim Support provides assistance to victims of crime in England and Wales, regardless of their nationality. An additional £250,000 was provided to specialist organisations providing support to relatives bereaved by murder and manslaughter from the Victims Fund and £140,000 to the organisation Support after Murder and Manslaughter.
	For 2010-11 the Ministry of Justice has allocated £45 million for Victim Support, £140,000 for Support After Murder and Manslaughter and £270,474 for specialist organisations supporting bereaved relatives via the Victims Fund.

Grandparents

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to bring forward proposals to extend the rights of grandparents to have access to their grandchildren following a divorce or separation.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Family Justice Review, which is currently under way, is considering how best to promote further contact rights for non-resident parents and grandparents following the breakdown of a relationship, as well as the wider issues around the family justice system. The Review Panel, which is independently chaired, is due to issue an interim report in March 2011 and a final report in the autumn of 2011, following a full, national consultation.

HM Courts Service: Wales

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding he allocated to the Court Service in North Wales in 2009-10; and how much such funding he plans to allocate in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) is responsible for administration of courts in England and Wales. HMCS allocates financial resource to Wales and the six regions of England; however some costs for providing court services in Wales such as payment of rent and rates are met nationally. During 2009-10 the funding allocated to North Wales by HMCS Wales was £8,039,170 which included staff and judicial salary payments, estates maintenance costs, including security, cleaning, utility costs, judicial costs and other office expenditure. Additionally HMCS in Wales allocated a further £1,762,000 for capital estates schemes in North Wales that included refurbishment works and essential improvements that ensured compliance of legislative responsibilities.
	Funding allocations for court services in North Wales for 2010-11 currently stands at £7,546,155. Additionally HMCS in Wales allocated a further £2,888,000 for capital estates schemes in North Wales that included works and essential improvements that ensured compliance of legislative responsibilities and an integration scheme at Wrexham.
	HMCS is unable to confirm the level of funding that will be provided for North Wales for 2011-12. HMCS and HM Tribunals service will merge to form a new agency on 1 April 2011. The settlement for HMCTS has yet to be agreed.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings the Information Commissioner has had with his international counterparts in the last 24 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Information Commissioner and his staff regularly meet their international counterparts. Meetings include attendance at the annual International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners; the European Privacy and Data Protection Commissioners' Conference; the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party and the Joint Supervisory Authority for Customs and the Schengen information System.
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average annual salary is of an employee in the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Jonathan Djanogly: The average full-time equivalent salary of an employee of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), including the Information Commissioner, is £26,422.
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff are employed by the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Jonathan Djanogly: On 31 October 2010, 354 staff (equivalent to 330 full-time staff) were employed by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). This includes the Information Commissioner.
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) annual salary and  (b) benefits including (i) car scheme, (ii) pension contributions, (iii) bonus payments and (iv) expenses payments were of (A) each Deputy Information Commissioner, (B) the Director of Corporate Affairs, (C) the Director of Operations, (D) the Director of Organisational Development and (E) each non-executive Director in the Office of the Information Commissioner in the last 24 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: The annual salary and pension contributions for the Information Commissioner's executive team are set out in the following table in £5,000 pay bands:
	
		
			   Deputy Commissioner (1-Data Protection)  Deputy Commissioner (2-Freedom of Information)  Director of Corporate Affairs  Director of Operations  Director of Organisational Development 
			  2008-09  
			 Annual salary(1) £70,000-£75,000 £80,000-£85,000 £55,000-£60,000 £75,000-£80,000 £50,000-£55,000 
			 Pension contributions £15,000-£20,000 £20,000-£25,000 £10,000-£15,000 £20,000-£25,000 £10,000-£15,000 
			   
			  2009 - 10  
			 Annual salary(2) £75,000-£80,000 £80,000-£85,000 £55,000-£60,000 £80,000-£85,000 £50,000-£55,000 
			 Pension contributions £15,000-£20,000 £20,000-£25,000 £10,000-£15,000 £20,000-£25,000 £10,000-£15,000 
			 (1) From 1 July 2008 (2) From 1 July 2009 
		
	
	The remuneration packages and expenses for the Information Commissioner and members of his executive team are published in the Information Commissioner's annual report 2009-10, which was laid before Parliament in July 2010. There was no increase in the salaries or pension contributions from the 2009-10 financial year to the 2010-11 financial year for members of the executive team.
	The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) does not operate a car scheme. However, members of the executive team have access to a cash health plan on subscription with a value of £60 per annum. Members of the executive team are eligible for bonus payments of £250 per annum.
	The ICO has four non-executive directors. They each receive a salary of £12,000 a year, which is non-pensionable. The non-executive directors are required to work 15 days per year and they are not entitled to bonus payments or additional benefits.
	The expenses for members of the executive team (excluding the Information Commissioner) and the non-executive directors are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Expense claims paid in the following financial years 
			  £ 
			   2008-2009  2009-2010  2010-11( 1) 
			  Executive team members
			 Simon Entwisle 1,381 993 318 
			 Vicky Best 698 696 0 
			 Susan Fox 1,194 618 252 
			 David Smith 8,859 5,284 638 
			 Graham Smith 1,969 868 109 
			 
			  Non-executive team members
			 Alistair Graham (stepped down 30 November 2009) 879 536 n/a 
			 Clare Tickell (stepped down 30 April 2010) 810 1,126 111 
			 David Clarke (stepped down 30 November 2009) 818 932 n/a 
			 Robert Chilton (stepped down 31 August 2010) 880 900 180 
			 Neil Masom (appointed  1 December 2009) n/a 0 0 
			 Enid Rowlands (appointed 1 December 2009) n/a 323 163 
			 Jane May (appointed  1 May 2010) n/a n/a 445 
			 Andrew Hind (appointed 1 September 2010) n/a n/a 0 
			 (1) Until 31 October 2010 
		
	
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by the management board of the Office of the Information Commissioner on  (a) taxi fares and  (b) other transport in the last 24 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: The management board comprises the executive and non-executive directors. Expenditure by the management board on taxis and other transport since the 2008-09 financial year is set out as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Taxis  Other transport 
			 2008-09 6,031 70,754 
			 2009-10 4,764 45,792 
			 2010-11 (up to 31 October 2010) 591 20,705 
		
	
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the annual leave entitlement is of each member of the management board of the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Management Board comprises the Executive Team and the non-executive directors. The Executive Team members are entitled to annual leave of 25, 27 or 30 days per annum depending on their length of service. Non-executive directors are not entitled to annual leave.
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the annual  (a) revenue and  (b) capital budget was for the Office of the Information Commissioner in each year since it was established.

Jonathan Djanogly: This information is being collated. I will write to the hon. Member with this information as soon as possible.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which buildings the Office of the Information Commissioner  (a) owns and  (b) rents; and how much funding the Office of the Information Commissioner allocated to property expenditure in the last 24 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) owns no buildings. The ICO leases the following properties:
	Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire (entire building)
	Cambrian Buildings, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff (part floor)
	51 Adelaide Street, Belfast (one floor).
	In addition, the ICO occupies the following properties under licence:
	93-95 Hanover Street, Edinburgh (part floor)
	Millbank Tower, London (part floor)
	Earl Road, Nr Cheadle, Cheshire (storage space).
	The following table outlines expenditure on property, which includes rent, rates and refurbishment costs.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost in £ 
			 2008-09 1,217,000 
			 2009-10 970,000 
			 2010-11(1) 2,763,541 
			 (1) Up until 31 October 2010. 
		
	
	The increase in expenditure between 2009-10 and 2010-11 reflects the refurbishment costs of Wycliffe House.
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest salary is of an employee in the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Jonathan Djanogly: The highest salary of £140,000 is paid to the Information Commissioner and is published in his annual report. The lowest salary paid to an employee of the ICO is within the salary band £11,939 to £16,152.
	 Note:
	This information was provided by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Judges: Public Appointments

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to announce the changes his Department proposes to the way in which judicial appointments are made; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: On 28 June I announced my intention to review the operation of the judicial appointments process in close consultation with the Lord Chief Justice. We have decided that the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) and the Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman will remain in place as valued independent bodies, which do much to bring openness to the way candidates are selected for judicial appointments.
	However, it is clear that at times the appointments process can take too long and cost too much. The first duty of the Commission is to maintain the high quality of Judicial appointments but I believe that the JAC should also focus on delivering efficiency in the selection of judges, working with the judiciary and the unified Courts and Tribunals Service. The recruitment of the new Chair of the JAC is underway and, with the Lord Chief Justice, I look forward to working with the Commission on more detailed proposals for improving the appointments process, in the first instance within the existing statutory framework. Any subsequent proposals requiring legislation would be brought forward in the usual way.

Prison Sentences

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to review the powers in respect of indeterminate public protection sentences under the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Crispin Blunt: We have announced that we are conducting an assessment of sentencing. The sentencing assessment is looking at the full range of penalties and restorative measures available in the criminal justice system including sentences of imprisonment for public protection.
	We will publish a Green Paper later this year, setting out plans to reform sentencing and rehabilitate offenders more effectively.

Prisons: Employment

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure his Department has incurred on employment support for prisoners in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available; and what percentage of prisoners secure employment within six months of release in that period.

Crispin Blunt: No such information is held centrally. There is considerable employment support work undertaken to help prisoners across the NOMS estate. Expenditure for this work is part of prison baseline funding and it is not currently possible to disaggregate the costs. A considerable amount of work in this area is also undertaken in partnership with the Department of Business Innovation and Skills as well as the Department of Work and Pensions.
	In 2009-10, 24.5%(1) of prisoners discharged from prison entered employment upon release. NOMS does not track the employment status of discharged prisoners within six months of their release date.
	(1) NOMS Annual Report for 2009-10 Employment on Release figures. Employment outcomes were expressed as a proportion of recorded discharges. Performance was calculated using recorded employment status and discharge data. The National Offender Management Service Annual Report and Accounts for 2009-10 was published on 9 September 2010.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development under which budget headings he plans to allocate the £2.9 billion funding for climate finance announced in the comprehensive spending review.

Stephen O'Brien: The £2.9 billion International Climate Fund (ICF), funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will be used to support adaptation and low carbon development and to help tackle deforestation in developing countries. Specific spending decisions have not yet been made.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the £2.9 billion allocated to climate finance in the comprehensive spending review includes all of the UK's £1.5 billion share of the fast-start finance pledged at Copenhagen.

Stephen O'Brien: No. Part of the UK's fast-start commitment will be spent in 2010-11, before the new spending review period, which runs from 2011-12 to 2014-15. Spending on Fast Start in 2011-12 and 2012-13 will come from the International Climate Fund (ICF), which is budgeted for in the new spending review period.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of international climate finance he expects to be delivered in the form of loans in the period from 2010 to 2015.

Stephen O'Brien: UK international climate finance will include grants and loans. The balance between them will depend on specific spending decisions that have not yet been made.

St Helena: Airfields

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether funding provided by his Department for the construction of an airfield on St Helena will be classified as official development assistance.

Alan Duncan: All the Department for International Development's (DFID's) support for St Helena, including any funding proposed for the airport, meets the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD's) definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA).

St Helena: Airfields

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department plans to allocate to the construction of an airfield on St Helena.

Alan Duncan: It would be inappropriate to announce the proposed funding allocation for the St Helena airport, since doing so could prejudice our future commercial negotiations.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Cotton

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has undertaken of the effects of European Union cotton subsidies on farmers in sub-Saharan Africa; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK Government have supported significant research into the impacts of cotton subsidies on African farmers, including EU cotton subsidies. These subsidies have a significant negative impact on farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and their removal is a key objective of the UK Government.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) will work closely with DEFRA to reform the EU Common Agricultural Policy and eliminate direct support to the EU cotton sector.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Google

Robert Halfon: To ask the Attorney-General what representations the Crown Prosecution Service has received on prosecution of Google for illegal offences under  (a) the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and  (b) the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 in respect of its Street View project; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was contacted by Avon and Somerset police in May of this year for advice on what its likely view would be on prosecuting Google for potential offences arising out of its Street View project. The CPS position is that if, following an investigation, a file were to be submitted to the CPS, then the case would be reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and dealt with accordingly. No other representations are known to have been received, although such requests would not be collated centrally.

Human Trafficking: Prosecutions

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Government is taking to increase the proportion of prosecutions of those engaged in human trafficking which result in conviction.

Edward Garnier: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Attorney-General to the oral parliamentary question from my hon. Friend the Member for South West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) on 26 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 161-62.

Offences Against the Person Act 1861: Prosecutions

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has brought under section 35 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 for the offence of wanton and furious driving in the last five years; how many such prosecutions there have been in each such year; and what proportion of the prosecutions relating to the riding of a bicycle in each such year resulted in a conviction with a  (a) custodial sentence of (i) two years and (ii) between one and two years and (iii) less than one year,  (b) fine and  (c) community sentence order.

Edward Garnier: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service identify the number of offences charged under Section 35 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 in which a prosecution commenced, rather than the number of defendants prosecuted. During the last five years the number of these offences was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 33 
			 2006-07 26 
			 2007-08 18 
			 2008-09 31 
			 2009-10 25 
		
	
	CPS records do not identify the number of defendants prosecuted for specific offences. Rather, they show the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts. CPS records do not identify the proportion of offences in which a bicycle was involved.
	The following table outlines the total number of people sentenced under the above Act for causing bodily harm by furious driving where that was the principal offence sentenced. The Ministry of Justice data do not record how many of these cases involved bicycles.
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to immediate custody, by sentence band, or other outcome for causing bodily harm by furious driving( 1) , England and Wales, 2005-09( 2, 3) 
			  Outcome  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Total sentenced 8 7 5 11 12 
			 Immediate custody 2 4 0 4 5 
			  Of which:  
			 Less than one year 1 3 0 1 3 
			 Over one year and less than two years 7 1 0 3 2 
			 2 years 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fine l 0 0 0 1 
			 Community sentence 4 1 1 2 3 
			 Suspended sentence 0 2 4 5 3 
			 Discharges 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Otherwise dealt with 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.35 (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics-Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Rape: Prosecutions

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Attorney-General what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service in bringing prosecutions for rape; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to ensuring that offenders are brought to justice through successful prosecutions, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The CPS works with the police and others partners to ensure that investigations and prosecutions are as effective as possible; and that victims are given appropriate support.

Sovereignty of Parliament

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Attorney-General what recent representations he has received on the judicial basis for parliamentary sovereignty.

Edward Garnier: By long-standing convention, observed by successive Administrations and embodied in the Ministerial Code, the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have been requested to advise (or have not advised or have not been requested to advise) on a particular issue, and the content of any advice, is not disclosed outside Government.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Accommodation

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff in the House of Commons Service are provided with  (a) overnight and  (b) residential accommodation and facilities other than a worktime office; what positions are held by such persons; what accommodation is provided; and for what reason in each case.  [Official Report, 12 November 2010, Vol. 518, c. 3MC.]

Stuart Bell: The House of Commons provides single-room hostel-style sleeping accommodation in John Islip street, for up to 17 staff who undertake occasional late duties. Staff including doorkeepers and administrative staff are eligible to use the sleeping accommodation provided they satisfy the following guidelines:
	They are expected to be on duty to support the House or its Committees after 10.30 pm and they live outside the 25 mile taxi radius.
	They are on duty until the rising of the House if this is expected to be after 7.30 pm and they are required for duty before 8.30 am the following day.
	There is a departmental business reason and they have prior approval.
	In addition, sleeping facilities on the estate are provided for the Deputy Serjeant at Arms, Assistant Serjeant at Arms, Clerk Assistant, Clerk of Committees, Clerk of Legislation, Assistant Secretary to the Speaker and the Speaker's Trainbearer. This reflects the requirement that they are present on the parliamentary estate over prolonged periods and at unpredictable times.
	Six staff are entitled to residential accommodation so that they can be available for duty at short notice. They are the Clerk of the House, Serjeant at Arms, Speaker's Secretary, Head Office Keeper and two Senior Office Keepers. The addresses of the accommodation are: 2 Parliament street, 3 Parliament street, 2a Canon row, 2b Canon row, 4 Canon row and a flat at 102 Rochester row.

Early Day Motions

Paul Beresford: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost to the House of Commons Service was of processing early-day motions in Session  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Stuart Bell: The estimated cost to the House of administering and processing early-day motions (EDMs) in financial year 2009-10 was approximately £1 million. Figures for the previous year are not readily available but there is no reason to suppose that they were significantly different in real terms, other than that the number of EDMs tabled may be higher in a longer session.
	Most of this cost was accounted for by printing and publication of early-day motions, amendments to them, and names added to them, under the House's contract with TSO. This cost nearly £776,000 in 2009-10.
	Expenditure is incurred on staff time to process and input notices relating to early-day motions, and to index that material. Staff who deal with EDMs also undertake other duties, but a rough estimate of the full salary costs incurred from the estimated amount of their time spent on EDMs, including employer's pension contribution and national insurance, is of the order of £150,000 for 2009-10.
	In addition, technical support for the EDMi database and the Table Office's software application for processing EDMs cost approximately £87,000 in 2009-10.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether any  (a) genetically modified and  (b) irradiated food is served or offered for sale in House of Commons catering and retail outlets.

Stuart Bell: In line with its procurement policy, the House of Commons Catering Service avoids, wherever identifiable, the procurement of foods that contain genetically modified organisms. To this end, as part of the tendering process, food suppliers are required to work to a strict GMO policy and give assurances that goods supplied be free from genetically modified materials.
	In line with guidance from the Food Standards Agency there is no defined policy which covers the procurement of irradiated foods; however the House of Commons Catering Service does not knowingly purchase any foodstuffs that are irradiated.

House of Commons: Pay

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff employed in the House of Commons Service on 1 November 2010 earned as much as or more than an hon. Member; and what the  (a) posts and  (b) current salaries are of such staff.

Stuart Bell: The basic salary payable to Members is £65,738 per annum as at 1 November 2010. At that date, 78 staff were paid an annual salary above this figure. A list of the posts in the Senior Commons Structure and at pay band Al, which have pay maxima higher than Members' current salary, will be placed in the Library, together with the individual pay of SCS2 and SCS3 staff in £5,000 bands. Details of the staff pay bands and staff pay arrangements are available on the parliamentary intranet. The salaries of Members of the Board of Management are disclosed in the House of Commons: Administration annual accounts.

Official Report: Finance

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the total cost was of producing an edition of the  Official Report to record the Youth Parliament debate on 29 October 2010; and from what budget the money will be drawn.

Stuart Bell: Official Report staff produced the report of the Youth Parliament debate on 29 October 2010; no additional staff costs were incurred. Parliamentary Print Services produced the printed copies of the report at a cost of £186. This will come from the budget of the Department of Chamber and Committee Services.

UK Youth Parliament

Philip Davies: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost to the public purse was under each budgetary heading of hosting the UK Youth Parliament debate on Friday 29 October 2010.

Stuart Bell: The additional cost was:
	
		
			  Budget  £ 
			 Catering 8,689 
			 Broadcasting 8,415 
			 Printing 1,278 
			 Training 1,500 
			 Photographs 760 
			 Supplies 216 
			 Total 20,858

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC: Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to provide independent access to broadband for providers dependent on BBC licence fee funding for the extension of such services.

Edward Vaizey: I have been asked to reply 
	in my capacity as a Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Broadband infrastructure upgrades utilising the public funding announced in the spending review will follow public procurement guidelines. Those guidelines require competitive tendering and additionally require wholesale access to that infrastructure to be made available to all suppliers of broadband services.

Olympic Games 2012

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to decide on the route for the Olympic torch; and if he will consider including Hastings as a location on the route.

Hugh Robertson: The Olympic and Paralympic torch relays are the responsibility of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). LOCOG has announced its vision for welcoming the Olympic flame, when the torch arrives in the UK on Friday 18 May 2012. The torch will travel around the UK for 70 days, arriving in London the weekend before the games begin.
	LOCOG has not finalised the Olympic torch relay route at this stage but is currently undertaking initial route planning. LOCOG has confirmed that the torch will come within a one-hour journey time of 95% of the UK population. Earlier this year, local communities were invited to contribute expressions of interest and ideas for hosting a welcome event for the torch during a three-month tour of the UK's Nations and Regions. These evening celebration events will be announced next year, as they are confirmed.

Olympic Games 2012: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to deter counterfeit ticketing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for the ticketing arrangements for the London 2012 Games. As the almost entirely privately-financed Organising Committee, LOCOG must raise a significant proportion of its £2 billion budget from ticket sales.
	Tickets are protected by the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act of 2006, which makes any unauthorised sale of London 2012 tickets in a public place, in the course of a business, or for profit a criminal act. LOCOG works very closely with the Metropolitan police unit charged with working to prevent ticket fraud. A dedicated Metropolitan police team from the Specialist Crime Directorate-Operation Podium-has been working with key Olympic stakeholders to profile the risks, share intelligence and build in prevention measures associated with ticketing fraud.
	Through the launch of its 'Sign Up' campaign, LOCOG is educating the public on where the official outlets for tickets are-in the UK, tickets will only be available through LOCOG, its partner Thomas Cook and prestige ticketing suppliers. Outside of the UK, tickets will only be available for purchase through each National Olympic Committee's appointed ticket agent. LOCOG now owns significant numbers of online domain names, and where other sites claim to sell tickets LOCOG takes action, including reporting them to the police. It will be illegal to sell tickets on auction websites.

Olympic Games 2012: Low Income Families

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to allocate tickets for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to low income families.

Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for the ticketing arrangements for the London 2012 Games. As the almost entirely privately-financed Organising Committee, LOCOG must raise a significant proportion of its £2 billion budget from ticket sales.
	LOCOG has announced pricing for Olympic tickets, which provides for accessible and affordable tickets to achieve full stadia at Games-time, and in doing so offer as many people as possible the chance to attend the Games. Almost a third of Olympic tickets will cost £20 or less, and these tickets will feature in every sport. LOCOG has also announced special pricing arrangements for seniors, a "Pay Your Age" scheme at nearly a third of all sessions for those 16 or under, and "Ticketshare", a scheme where 100,000 tickets have been paid for by those buying prestige hospitality tickets which will be distributed to school children via schools registered as part of the London 2012 Get Set Network. Tickets for events in London will also include a travel card, zones 1-6 on the day of the event. Arrangements for Paralympic ticket prices will be announced in 2011, which will demonstrate further affordability.

Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in his Department's settlement letter in respect of the comprehensive spending review.

Jeremy Hunt: All pressures on Departments' budgets were taken into account as part of the spending review and settlements were allocated accordingly. The full costs of redundancies will be met from within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's resource DEL settlement.

Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of staff redundancy in each of the next four years.

Jeremy Hunt: Determining optimal work force reforms in order to live within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport spending review resource DEL settlement is an ongoing process.
	The Department is not able to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of redundancies as yet for each of the next four years as we, alongside other public sector bodies across Government, are awaiting the outcome of the Superannuation Bill which is due to be finalised in December 2010.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Gregory Barker: The amount spent in September was £118.44.
	The provisional figure, pending the receipt of final invoices, for October was £1,040.82.

Renewable Energy: Shetland

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the merits of capping renewable energy transmission charges for Shetland and Orkney; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is currently conducting an overarching review of transmission charges through Project TransmiT which was launched on 22 September. In parallel with Project TransmiT, I will be undertaking analysis so a decision can be made on whether to use section 185 of the Energy Act 2004 to adjust transmission charges for renewable generation on Shetland and Orkney and the Western Isles. I aim to be in a position to act quickly should a section 185 scheme be required once we know the outcome of Project TransmiT.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who serves on the cross-Government working group to tackle anti-Semitism; on what dates the working group has met since May 2010; on what dates the group plans to meet during the next six months; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The cross-Government working group to tackle anti-Semitism is made up of civil servants from across Whitehall as well as representatives of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust and a representative of the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-Semitism. The working group met on Friday 23 July 2010. Further meetings are planned for Wednesday 17 November 2010, followed by meetings during the second week of February 2011 and June 2011.

Global Peace and Unity Conference

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Ministers attended the Islam Channel Global Peace and Unity conference on 23 and 24 October 2010; what assessment he has made of the outcome of that conference; and what discussions he has had with  (a) ministerial colleagues and  (b) officials on ministerial attendance at the conference.

Andrew Stunell: I attended the Global Peace and Unity event on 24 October on behalf of the Government. No assessment has been made of the outcome of the conference. Ministers and officials have regular discussions about ministerial attendance at public events.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Pakistan

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: A stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan is in Britain's interest, and in the interests of all EU member states. I have had intensive contact with my EU counterparts in recent weeks to ensure substantial European support for Pakistan following the floods, including on trade access.

Pakistan

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the policy of the EU on Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: The EU is Pakistan's largest trading partner, one of the largest investors in Pakistan, and has a relationship covering counter-terrorism, governance, humanitarian aid and development. We want to see a deeper, more visible EU-Pakistan relationship, including improved market access for Pakistani goods into the EU.

EU Treaties

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the proposed new EU treaty.

David Lidington: There is no proposed new EU treaty. However the European Council asked its President Herman Van Rompuy to "undertake consultations" on a limited treaty change to allow for the creation of a permanent crisis mechanism to "safeguard the financial stability of the Euro area".

Zimbabwe

Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Henry Bellingham: Hardliners within the Inclusive Government continue to block reform. However, the Inclusive Government offer the best means of transforming Zimbabwe. We will continue to work with reformers in Zimbabwe and the region to prepare for credible and properly monitored elections.

Weapons Shipment: Lagos

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the origin of the shipment of weapons seized in Lagos by the Nigerian authorities on 26 October 2010.

Henry Bellingham: We are aware of media allegations about Iranian links to the shipment of weapons seized in Lagos by the Nigerian authorities on 26 October 2010. If true, this would represent a serious and unacceptable breach of UN sanctions and further evidence of Iran's destabilising role in the Middle East. We continue to condemn Iranian support to groups such as Hamas and Hizballah which pursue an ideology of violence directly undermining prospects for peace in the region.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs What recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: Yemen is fragile and in need of enhanced international support. It faces a combination of instability; poverty and rapid economic decline; and increasing terrorist activity by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The Government of Yemen must take the lead in tackling this threat and pursuing reform and development. We, and others in the international community, remain ready to assist as required.
	We have led the international response to this, both bilaterally through our long-standing relationship with the Yemeni Government and our substantial development programme, and multilaterally through the international Friends of Yemen Group.

University Teaching: Italy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of his recent meeting with the president of the Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy on the rights of UK citizens teaching in universities in Italy; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: I met the President of the Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy, Professor Petrie, on 28 October. I said that I would raise the issue with the Italian Minister for European Affairs, the Italian ambassador to the UK and the European Commissioner for Employment. Our British embassy in Rome will also meet members of the association and Italian Government officials.
	It is wrong and contrary to the spirit of non-discrimination in the single market that the "lettori" should still be denied their rights. I shall continue to press the Italian Government on this issue.

Turkey

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of bilateral relations with Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: We have excellent co-operation with Turkey on a wide range of issues, reaffirmed in a new strategic partnership signed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister during our joint visit to Turkey in July. Priority areas of co-operation include trade and investment, regional security, defence, energy and counter-terrorism.

British Nationals Abroad: Bereavement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training his Department provides for consular desk staff on provision of services to UK nationals bereaved by murder and manslaughter abroad.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to delivering high quality support to British nationals overseas. We continue to invest in our staff to sustain their professionalism through compulsory training designed to give them the relevant skills and knowledge to provide appropriate support in a range of circumstances. Training covers customer care and welfare issues in addition to practical matters. Particular attention is paid to the special circumstances affecting the family of murder victims. Both knowledge of what help the FCO can provide and the skills staff must use when dealing with individuals in difficult circumstances are tested to ensure all staff meet the required standard.
	Consular training team won five awards in 2009, including the International Visual Communications Association Gold award for Practical Training.

China: Human Rights

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department monitors the human rights record of Chinese state-owned enterprises which have operations in Africa.

Jeremy Browne: The Government attach high importance to responsible business practices in Africa. In May 2010, the Department for International Development supported an international conference in Beijing on 'Corporate Social Responsibility and African Development'. The conference provided an opportunity for delegates from China, Africa, US and the EU to discuss how to promote and practice responsible business that can benefit Africa.
	We have an active programme of engagement with China on Africa issues, including an annual official-level UK-China dialogue on Africa. The most recent round took place in Beijing in October 2010.

Colombia

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Colombian counterpart on imprisonment of Rosalba Gavira Toro.

Jeremy Browne: On 5 November 2010 our embassy wrote to the Presidential Programme for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law to raise Mrs Gavira's case. We will continue to monitor her investigation and raise the matter with the Colombian authorities again should it prove necessary.

Colombia: Trade Unions

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart on an investigation of the killing of trade union representative Nelson Murillo.

Jeremy Browne: On 29 October, officials at our embassy in Bogota sent a letter to the Office of the Presidential Program of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, the International Unit of the General Prosecutor's Office and the Human Rights Division of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the assassination of Mr Murillo. We asked to be kept informed on the progress of the investigation. We will continue to monitor the investigation and raise the case again with the Colombian authorities should it prove necessary.
	The safety of trade unionists in Colombia remains of great concern to us. Staff at our embassy in Bogota continue to visit those who are under threat and make representations to the Colombian authorities in cases of violence or intimidation against trade unionists. We are also working with the UN on a research initiative to help improve trade union human rights protection and the development of positive labour relations.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Minerals

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that minerals sourced in the Democratic Republic of Congo and sold by UK companies are ethically sourced.

Henry Bellingham: The UK is committed to promoting responsible corporate behaviour amongst British companies wherever they operate. We promote high standards of accountability and responsibility with regard to human rights from British companies trading in natural resources sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adherence to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) voluntary Guidelines for Multinationals. We support new OECD due diligence guidelines for mineral supply chains.

Departmental Early Retirement

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have been offered enhanced early retirement packages in each of the last three years.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has offered the following numbers of staff early retirement on compulsory early retirement (CER) or flexible early retirement (FER) terms. CER and FER are the only schemes which allow for an enhancement of service. The Civil Service pensions website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/my-civil-service/pensions/index.aspx
	has descriptions of the various terms currently on offer under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).
	2008-09: 59 staff (20 CER, 39 FER)
	2009-10: 95 staff (14 CER, 81 FER)
	2010-11: 51 staff (0 CER, 51 FER)
	For FCO Services the position is:
	2008-09: One CER
	2009-10: Nil
	2010-11: Nil
	For Wilton Park:
	2008-09: Nil
	2009-10: Nil
	2010-11: four FER
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our agencies only offer early departure schemes where they will help to address staffing issues within the organisation which have been identified by our Strategic Workforce Plan. Applications are assessed against a number of criteria including business need and value for money. All packages which are agreed are calculated and paid in strict accordance with the rules of the CSCS.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many EU  (a) regulations and  (b) directives affecting the UK were passed in each year since 1997; and how many were transposed into domestic law in each year since 1997.

David Lidington: This information is not held centrally as it is the responsibility of each Government Department to ensure that EU legislative instruments are transposed into UK law. It would entail disproportionate cost to research and compile this information.
	However, research has been conducted concerning the amount of UK legislation that is affected by EU regulations and directives which is available in the Library of the House titled "How Much Legislation Comes from the EU" under reference 10/62.

European External Action Service

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many former staff of his Department terminated their employment to join the European External Action Service in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

David Lidington: No members of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff have terminated their employment to join the European External Action Service (EEAS). If recruited, Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff will join the EEAS on secondment for a fixed period and will then return to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

European Union

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress he has made on his proposals to repatriate powers from the EU to the UK; what opportunities for the UK to repatriate powers from the EU he expects in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Government's priority has been the European Union Bill. The aim of the forthcoming Bill is to increase democratic and parliamentary control, scrutiny and accountability over EU decision making. The Bill will introduce a 'referendum lock'. This referendum lock will ensure that any proposed future treaty, or treaty amendment, that transferred competences or areas of power from the UK to the EU would be subject to a referendum.
	Our national priority is getting our budget under control, and that includes getting the EU budget under control. We have had a significant success at the October European Council in doing that, not just for this budget but in framing the debate for the next multi-annual EU budget. That is what we will be focusing on in the months ahead.
	In fulfilment of the coalition agreement we have begun initial work on the balance of the EU's competences. In addition we will continue to work to limit the application of the working time directive in the United Kingdom.

Foreign Nationals: Bereavement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on assisting foreign nationals bereaved by murder and manslaughter while in the UK in 2009.

Crispin Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
	Lead responsibility for ensuring provision of support services and assistance to victims of crime rests with the Ministry of Justice.
	In 2009-10 the Ministry of Justice provided funding of £38.2 million to Victim Support to support their work across England and Wales. Victim Support provides assistance to victims of crime in England and Wales, regardless of their nationality. An additional £250,000 was provided to specialist organisations providing support to relatives bereaved by murder and manslaughter from the Victims Fund and £140,000 to the organisation Support after Murder and Manslaughter.
	For 2010-11 the Ministry of Justice has allocated £45 million for Victim Support, £140,000 for Support After Murder and Manslaughter and £270,474 for specialist organisations supporting bereaved relatives via the Victims Fund.

Iran: Higher Education

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of restrictions imposed by the Government of Iran on university courses in  (a) law,  (b) philosophy,  (c) management,  (d) psychology,  (e) political science and  (f) women's studies and human rights in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports of restrictions on a number of social science university courses in Iran, including reports that no new departments will be opened and existing courses will have their content revised. Restrictions to women's studies and human rights courses are of particular concern and we will continue to monitor these developments closely.

Iran: Iraq

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent reports he has received of the  (a) supply and  (b) training by Iran of militias and insurgents in Iraq; and if he will make a statement; [R]
	(2)  what recent reports he has received on the supply to al-Qaeda of suicide vests by the Government of Iran; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: We have not seen recent reports of Iran supplying suicide vests to al-Qaeda. But we have longstanding and serious concerns about Iranian financial and material support to militia groups in Iraq, and the Taliban. We have repeatedly called on Iran to work with the international community to build a stable and secure future for the region.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Government of Iran complies with its international obligations in relation to nuclear non-proliferation.

Alistair Burt: The UK has been at the forefront of international efforts to intensify pressure on Iran to comply with its obligations. We have supported unprecedented UN and EU sanctions to this end. We are fully focused on a diplomatic resolution to this issue and are using all channels to urge Iran to enter into negotiations.

Iraq: Prisoners

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the letter from the Minister of State of 30 September 2010, ref. 88511, what response embassy officials received from the Iraqi Chief of Prisons Monitoring Department on prison conditions for  (a) Dr Mahdi Saleh,  (b) Mr Haman Yousif Hamadi and  (c) Dr Amwer Rashid after they had made representations in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy has made no representations to Iraqi Chief of Prisons Monitoring Department with regard to these individuals, who are Iraqi citizens standing trial in accordance with Iraqi Law at the Iraqi High Tribunal, nor was any undertaking made to make such representations in the letter of 30 September.
	We regularly discuss the justice system, and prison conditions, with senior members of the Iraqi Government. In August 2010 our ambassador in Baghdad met with the Iraqi Human Rights Minister and raised concerns over prison conditions. On 7 September our embassy officials in Baghdad met with the Chief of Prisons Monitoring Department during a Human Rights working group with EU embassies and also discussed conditions of prisons and treatment of detainees. We will continue to look for opportunities to remind the Iraqi authorities that any prisoners detained without charge should be dealt with by due process and, should be treated in line with internationally accepted standards regarding fair trials and prisoners' rights.

Israel: Sanctions

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received recent representations from trade union leaders on trade boycotts against Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We do receive representations from groups who advocate a trade boycott against Israel. However, we do not think boycotts are a constructive way forward. They are an obstruction to the close friendship and trade links shared between the UK and Israel.

Lebanon: Anti-Israeli Missile

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will undertake pre-emptive multilateral diplomatic action to prevent the escalation of anti-Israeli missile deployment in Lebanon.

Alistair Burt: We continue to press for the full implementation of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions, most notably UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls upon Hizballah to disarm.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary underlined the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 with Prime Minister Hariri during his visit to the UK last week. I also raised these issues during my visit to Syria and Lebanon in July underlining the need to prevent the flow of arms to Hizballah.

Mental Health

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities contained in the Foresight Report on Mental Capital and Wellbeing by the Government Office for Science; if he will ensure that his Department takes steps to promote wellbeing; if he will ensure that his Department's policy development process takes account of psychological research into subjective wellbeing; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 8 November 2010
	The Foresight Report recognises the important role employers have to play in promoting the mental well-being of those in their care. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) already has in place many of the initiatives highlighted in the report. These include a health care scheme for staff and families posted overseas, an in-house welfare and occupational health service, access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme, a stress management framework, based on the Health and Safety Executive's management standards and a regular programme of health promotion activities. The FCO regularly reviews its policies towards mental well-being in the light of operational experience and the prevailing academic research. Additional support is offered to staff serving in high threat posts (Iraq, Afghanistan), and to those who have been involved in traumatic incidents while serving overseas.

North Korea: Nuclear Power

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Government of North Korea comply with their international obligations in relation to nuclear non-proliferation.

Jeremy Browne: The UK remains deeply concerned by North Korea's illicit nuclear weapons programme, which we regard as a threat to regional and international security. We strongly support the tough sanctions imposed by UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874. These are targeted to limit North Korea's proliferation activities, and we continue to work closely with international partners to ensure that these measures are robustly implemented. We hope that the Six-Party Talks process, which we view as the most realistic mechanism for making progress towards denuclearisation, recommences soon. In the meantime, we urge North Korea to refrain from any further provocative actions.

Taiwan: EU External Trade

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the proposal for a free trade agreement between the EU and Taiwan.

Jeremy Browne: We value our strong trade links with Taiwan and seek to enhance them. We support active consideration of practical measures to strengthen trade between the EU and Taiwan.

Terrorism: Expenditure

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's projected overseas counter-terrorism expenditure is for 2010-11.

Alistair Burt: The counter-terrorism department overseas programme budget in 2010-11 for counter-terrorism is £38 million.

UK Membership of EU

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the total annual gross benefit to  (a) the public purse and  (b) the UK economy as a result of the UK's membership of the EU.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK's projected public sector receipt from the EU budget in 2010-11 is £4.8 billion. These figures can be found in the latest Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis document (see Table C1, page 176).
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pesa_2010_complete.pdf
	The Treasury reviews as part of its analysis of the EU economy, a wide range of studies by external commentators that attempt to assess the costs and benefits of EU membership.

Venezuela: Human Rights

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on human rights in Venezuela; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The EU Heads of Mission in Caracas compiled a report on Venezuela, including human rights, for the EU Latin America Working Group (COLAT) meeting held on 6 July 2010 in Brussels. We also receive regular reporting from our embassy.
	The EU report focuses in particular on human rights concerns in the pre-electoral period. It said that while freedom of expression existed, there had been increasing cases of journalists being intimidated and harassed, as well as the closure of media outlets and some overt censorship by the press. Our embassy in Caracas continues to monitor the situation.

Venezuela: Human Rights

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) HM Ambassador to Venezuela,  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) officials in his Department have had with the president of Venezuela on human rights in Venezuela; on what date each such meeting took place; who was present at each such meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: There have not been any recent discussions with the President on issues of human rights.

Venezuela: Human Rights

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary General of the United Nations on human rights in Venezuela; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: We have not had discussions with the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) on human rights in Venezuela. However, we do work closely with the UN on the ground. We have helped refugees on the Venezuela-Colombian border in joint projects with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and are in regular contact with them.

Venezuela: Human Rights

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the incidence of anti-Semitism in Venezuela; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: There have been anti-Semitic incidents in the past including an attack on a synagogue in January 2009. Our embassy in Caracas monitors this issue and has reported that there have not been any similar incidents of anti-Semitism since. We understand that President Chavez met members of the Jewish community in September this year.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents were recorded of ambulances experiencing difficulty in reaching patients in emergency need in Greater London between 19.00 on Tuesday 2 November 2010 and 19.00 on Wednesday 3 November 2010.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to raise this directly with London Ambulance Service NHS trust.
	Ambulance services are currently commissioned by primary care trusts, which have a responsibility to ensure that appropriate services are provided to their populations. Each ambulance service should therefore plan to provide appropriate resources to meet local demand.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many hospital admissions there were for  (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and  (b) all respiratory diseases in (i) Mansfield district primary care trust area and (ii) each other primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many hospital bed days there were for  (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and  (b) all respiratory diseases in (i) Mansfield district primary care trust area and (ii) each other primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The information has been placed in the Library.

Dental Services: Training

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he gave to the training provided for newly-qualified dentists when formulating his proposals for the new contract for NHS dentistry.

Simon Burns: We are committed, following consultation and piloting, to introducing a new dentistry contract with a focus on improving quality, achieving good dental health and increasing access to national health service dentistry. We will be consulting patients, the NHS and the dental profession including the postgraduate dental deans who are responsible for quality assuring the vocational training which newly qualified dental graduates are required to undertake before they may practise in the NHS. Since this training is undertaken in primary care dental practices, the dentists should be able to familiarise themselves with the new contractual arrangements at an early stage in their careers.

Health Education: Young People

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have for providing teenagers with access to information and advice on making healthy lifestyle choices in schools.

Anne Milton: We will outline our plans for helping teenagers to make healthy choices in the forthcoming public health White Paper. In addition, the Department for Education wants all young people to benefit from high quality personal social health and economic teaching and is currently considering how best to ensure this.

Health Visitors: Stoke-on-Trent

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he has allocated to the provision of health visitors in Stoke-on-Trent in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Anne Milton: Health visitors have a key role to play in leading and delivering the Healthy Child Programme and wider health services to children and families locally and in ensuring that links are made where appropriate with primary care practitioners. The work that they do is central to support the health and development of all children, in particular the most vulnerable.
	We announced on 21 October 2010, a national recruitment drive to create 4,200 new health visitor posts and build a rejuvenated profession, across the country, including the Stoke-on-Trent area.

Hospitals: Smoking

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of implementation of a ban on smoking in psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric wards of hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: There is clear evidence that the smokefree legislation is working very well and almost all enclosed workspaces and public places including mental health units are free from second hand smoke and the dangers to health which arise from exposure to second hand smoke. Public support for the smokefree law is high and continues to grow. Even a majority of smokers now support the law. We will keep working on the evidence base for tobacco control and will say more about our plans in the public health white paper.
	There are significant health inequalities associated with having a mental illness. 70% of those resident in mental health units smoke compared to 21% of the general population. Statistics show that the desire to stop smoking is as strong in those with mental illnesses as it is in those who do not. People with severe mental illness die on average 20 years sooner than the average and the majority of these deaths are smoking related. It is right that the incidence of smoking related early death is addressed across the population regardless of race, religion, social status, physical or mental health.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for an MRI scan for patients from referral to scan in each primary care trust area in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: Waiting times for imaging diagnostic procedures were first collected in April 2006.
	The average waiting time for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan for patients from referral to scan in each primary care trust at the end of March in each year since 2006 is in the following table:
	
		
			  Median in-patient waiting time for MRI scans (weeks) 
			  Time periods March 2007-August 2010 (commissioner based) 
			   Month ending  March each year 
			  Primary care trusts (PCTs)  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Newcastle PCT 2.7 2.3 2.1 1.9 
			 North Tyneside PCT 1.9 1.9 1.5 1.5 
			 Hartlepool PCT 3.8 2.3 1.1 2.1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching PCT 3.9 2.4 1.5 2.4 
			 Darlington PCT 2.9 2.3 1.9 1.5 
			 Gateshead PCT 2.1 1.6 1.9 2.0 
			 South Tyneside PCT 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.7 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 4.4 2.6 2.7 1.6 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 2.6 2.3 1.5 1.8 
			 County Durham PCT 3.6 2.4 1.9 1.8 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 2.5 2.5 1.3 1.2 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 2.5 1.8 1.7 1.3 
			 Salford PCT 3.7 1.0 1.2 2.0 
			 Stockport PCT 5.7 2.3 1.6 1.3 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 4.3 1.2 1.4 1.3 
			 Blackpool PCT 3.4 1.9 1.6 1.8 
			 Bolton PCT 3.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 
			 Warrington PCT 4.3 0.9 1.2 1.7 
			 Knowsley PCT 3.3 1.9 1.4 1.6 
			 Oldham PCT 4.5 2.4 1.6 1.5 
			 Bury PCT 3.6 2.0 2.1 1.6 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 3.7 2.1 1.9 2.3 
			 Cumbria Teaching PCT 3.9 2.2 2.0 2.2 
			 North Lancashire Teaching PCT 3.3 2.4 1.7 1.6 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 3.6 1.7 1.5 1.4 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 3.0 2.1 1.7 1.8 
			 Sefton PCT 3.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 
			 Wirral PCT 2.7 2.1 1.6 2.1 
			 Liverpool PCT 4.1 2.3 1.9 1.9 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 2.6 1.0 1.2 1.1 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 2.1 n/a 1.4 1.9 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 4.4 1.3 1.7 1.5 
			 Heywood, Middleton And Rochdale PCT 3.5 2.1 2.8 1.8 
			 Trafford PCT 3.6 2.1 2.0 2.1 
			 Manchester PCT 3.8 2.2 1.9 1.8 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching Care Trust Plus 3.9 2.2 1.5 2.0 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 3.1 2.3 1.0 1.5 
			 Rotherham PCT 2.3 2.5 1.9 2.0 
			 Calderdale PCT 2.8 1.6 1.5 1.6 
			 Barnsley PCT 2.4 1.5 1.4 1.6 
			 Leeds PCT 2.0 2.1 1.6 2.1 
			 Kirklees PCT 3.9 1.8 1.2 1.6 
			 Wakefield District PCT 5.1 1.8 1.5 1.7 
			 Sheffield PCT 2.9 2.1 1.0 0.9 
			 Doncaster PCT 2.9 1.6 1.7 1.0 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2.8 2.4 1.6 1.6 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 4.4 2.4 1.6 2.0 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 5.0 2.4 1.7 2.4 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 3.7 2.1 1.9 0.7 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 2.6 2.3 1.0 1.1 
			 Nottingham City PCT 2.9 2.3 1.5 2.3 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 3.0 1.7 1.7 1.0 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 2.2 1.8 1.4 1.6 
			 Derby City PCT 1.6 2.4 1.5 1.9 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 2.7 1.8 1.3 1.7 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 3.8 1.8 1.4 1.7 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 2.2 1.7 1.2 1.5 
			 Leicester City PCT 2.1 1.9 1.2 1.4 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 3.8 2.3 1.6 1.8 
			 Herefordshire PCT 2.3 4.3 1.3 1.8 
			 South Birmingham PCT 3.2 2.3 1.9 2.9 
			 Shropshire County PCT 2.4 2.1 1.9 1.8 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 3.3 1.5 1.9 1.2 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 3.4 2.0 1.4 1.5 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 3.7 2.6 1.7 1.8 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 2.6 1.8 1.5 1.4 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 2.6 1.7 1.6 2.1 
			 Dudley PCT 3.0 2.2 1.0 2.2 
			 Sandwell PCT 2.7 2.1 1.5 1.8 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 3.2 2.4 1.8 2.1 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 3.6 2.7 2.1 1.9 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 3.9 3.0 1.8 2.0 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 4.0 2.1 1.7 2.2 
			 Worcestershire PCT 3.1 1.8 1.5 1.9 
			 Warwickshire PCT 3.6 2.2 1.6 1.6 
			 Solihull Care Trust 3.1 2.6 1.3 2.1 
			 Luton PCT 4.8 1.9 1.1 1.5 
			 South East Essex PCT 2.0 n/a 1.4 1.7 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 4.3 2.5 1.7 2.0 
			 Peterborough PCT 3.4 2.2 2.3 2.0 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 2.6 1.6 1.7 2.0 
			 Norfolk PCT 4.4 2.8 2.0 2.6 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 3.5 2.6 2.5 1.8 
			 Suffolk PCT 3.5 2.4 1.5 2.0 
			 West Essex PCT 4.6 3.0 2.4 2.3 
			 North East Essex PCT 2.7 2.1 1.9 1.4 
			 Mid Essex PCT 2.8 1.7 1.0 0.9 
			 South West Essex PCT 4.3 2.2 1.0 1.5 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 3.7 2.2 1.9 2.0 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 4.7 2.1 1.7 1.4 
			 Hertfordshire PCT 2.2 1.7 1.2 1.5 
			 Havering PCT 4.9 2.4 1.6 2.2 
			 Kingston PCT 4.8 2.1 1.5 1.4 
			 Bromley PCT 3.3 3.4 0.9 0.9 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 2.4 1.8 1.4 1.6 
			 Barnet PCT 4.3 1.9 1.5 1.4 
			 Hillingdon PCT 3.7 2.0 1.5 1.8 
			 Enfield PCT 4.5 1.9 1.7 1.2 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 4.5 2.2 1.6 2.0 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 2.5 2.6 1.5 1.4 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 2.1 2.2 1.7 1.9 
			 Newham PCT 2.9 2.4 1.7 1.6 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 4.0 2.4 1.7 1.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 2.6 2.8 1.8 1.4 
			 Ealing PCT 4.6 2.4 1.3 1.3 
			 Hounslow PCT 6.0 3.1 2.2 1.0 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 4.8 2.1 1.7 1.6 
			 Harrow PCT 4.6 2.2 1.8 1.6 
			 Camden PCT 2.7 2.5 2.0 1.4 
			 Islington PCT 4.3 2.7 2.3 1.5 
			 Croydon PCT 4.3 1.8 1.9 2.3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 4.1 2.5 1.4 1.6 
			 Westminster PCT 4.0 2.7 1.7 0.9 
			 Lambeth PCT 3.1 2.1 1.8 1.7 
			 Southwark PCT 3.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 
			 Lewisham PCT 2.8 2.4 1.5 1.8 
			 Wandsworth PCT 4.1 2.1 1.9 1.2 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 5.9 3.0 1.7 1.1 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 3.8 2.1 1.7 1.0 
			 Redbridge PCT 4.4 2.0 1.6 1.7 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 4.4 2.3 1.8 1.3 
			 Bexley Care Trust 2.9 1.8 1.5 1.4 
			 Medway PCT 2.4 1.5 1.3 2.3 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 2.8 1.8 1.0 1.4 
			 Surrey PCT 3.4 1.8 1.9 1.5 
			 West Sussex PCT 3.3 2.1 1.9 1.6 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 2.6 2.5 1.3 2.0 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 4.3 2.6 1.8 2.6 
			 West Kent PCT 3.9 3.1 1.8 1.9 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 4.0 2.0 1.6 1.6 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 2.4 1.6 1.3 0.9 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 4.7 2.4 1.4 2.6 
			 Southampton City PCT 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.5 
			 Hampshire PCT 3.5 2.1 1.5 2.2 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 4.1 2.2 1.4 1.7 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 2.8 2.3 1.8 1.9 
			 Berkshire West PCT 2.4 1.1 2.6 2.4 
			 Berkshire East PCT 3.3 2.6 2.1 2.5 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 2.5 3.5 1.5 1.6 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 3.6 2.2 1.1 1.7 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 3.3 1.5 1.7 1.9 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 6.0 1.2 1.7 1.4 
			 Swindon PCT 5.1 1.4 2.4 3.3 
			 North Somerset PCT 3.8 2.2 1.9 2.1 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 3.2 1.6 1.6 1.2 
			 Bristol PCT 3.7 1.9 1.5 2.0 
			 Wiltshire PCT 4.6 1.6 1.8 1.6 
			 Somerset PCT 3.2 1.4 1.3 1.3 
			 Dorset PCT 3.5 2.6 1.3 1.5 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 2.6 2.5 1.4 1.5 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 5.3 2.3 1.1 1.8 
			 Devon PCT 3.3 1.5 1.3 1.9 
			 Torbay Care Trust 2.9 2.0 1.3 1.5 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers reflect the median wait of those still waiting for MRI scan at month end. 2. Medians not calculated where waiting list is under 50.  Source: Monthly Diagnostic (DM01) return to Department of Health

Influenza: Vaccination

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doses of influenza vaccine are available for use in NHS facilities.

Anne Milton: Based on information supplied by vaccine manufacturers to the Department, 13.4 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine had been distributed in the United Kingdom for both national health service and private use by 29 October 2010. This compares to 13.2 million doses at the equivalent point last year. Vaccine manufacturers advise that there are about 275,000 further doses still available for distribution.

Meat

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent the importation of chicken injected with pork and beef waste; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: There is no evidence of pork and beef waste products being added to chicken meat, however ingredients can be legally added from other meat species, provided they have been produced in accordance with United Kingdom food law to ensure food safety.
	The Secretary of State has no powers to prevent importation of chicken with added water and proteins. This is not a food safety issue but rather a food labelling issue as meat products that have been injected with hydrolysed animal proteins, water, or other added ingredients can be marketed legally provided all the necessary information is given to the consumer.
	Food labelling rules are agreed at European Union level and prohibit false or misleading labelling. Labelling rules require that certain meat products that resemble a cut or slice of meat must mention in the name of the food any ingredients which originate from a different species to the rest of the meat.
	Local authorities ensure that food on sale in the UK complies with these labelling rules. Sampling is routinely carried by local authorities to check for added water and added protein in chicken. Where there is evidence of non-compliance in this respect, enforcement action is taken. The local authorities carry out enforcement action according to the statutory Food Law Code of Practice; this ensures that local authority practice across the UK is consistent with UK / EU food law.
	The Government's Food Authenticity research programme develops analytical methods for food enforcement laboratories to help combat misleading labelling and food fraud. The programme is currently working with partners in Europe and the United States of America to produce a method to reliably detect undeclared pork and beef proteins used to retain added water in chicken products. The Commission is aware and supportive of this collaborative project.

Meat Hygiene Service

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision he plans to make for funding of the functions formerly undertaken by the Meat Hygiene Service in each of the next three years.

Anne Milton: The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) merged with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on 1 April 2010, the FSA continues to undertake the functions of the MHS.
	The FSA is currently developing a new policy for charging for these functions and will be launching a 12 week public consultation later this month detailing its proposals.
	The responses to this public consultation will be taken into consideration by the FSA in determining the final policy on charging for these functions. Ministers will also be consulted on the FSA's final policy before it is implemented.
	Any increases in charges to the meat industry arising from the new policy will not take effect until January 2012 at the earliest.

Meat: Labelling

Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department issues on the preparation and packaging of halal meat.

Anne Milton: There are no guidelines issued from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) specifically on the 'preparation' and 'packaging' of Halal meat.
	Meat intended to be described as Halal must be slaughtered in accordance with United Kingdom food law. This ensures the food is fit for human consumption.
	The FSA recently reissued guidance (first published in 2003) for local authority food enforcement officers on Halal food issues to help local authorities make sure that food businesses comply with food labelling rules which are agreed at European Union level and prohibit false or misleading labelling. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Medical Treatments: Exports

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on the adequacy of supply of medicinal products in the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has received on amendment of the Medicines Act 1968 to prevent the export of medicinal products that are in short supply in the UK; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals in his forthcoming health Bill to prevent the export of medicinal products that are in short supply in the UK.

Paul Burstow: Ministers have had representations from supply chain organisations, health care professionals and patients, on the issue of medicines supply including issues relating to the Medicines Act. The Department, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders are working collaboratively to better understand and mitigate the impact of supply difficulties so that patients receive the medicines they need.
	The purpose of the 2010 Health and Social Care Bill is to take forward the changes set out in the Government White Paper, 'Liberating the NHS', which require primary legislation. The free movement of goods, including medicines, between member states of the European Union is a fundamental principle of the single market upon which the European Union is built, and therefore legislation to this end would be inappropriate. The Government will not take forward proposals to prevent the export of any medicinal products.

Mental Health

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2010,  Official Report, column 66W, on mental illness 
	(1)  what consultation his Department has undertaken on its new mental health strategy;
	(2)  what opportunity  (a) charities and  (b) individuals will have to contribute to his new mental health strategy.

Paul Burstow: Discussions are under way on the strategy and views are being gathered from a range of partners, including professional organisations and voluntary sector groups, as well as individual service users and carers. The Future Vision Coalition, and the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, each representing a large number of organisations, are members of the Mental Health Strategy Programme Board.
	The Department consulted widely on New Horizons, the previous Government's mental health strategy and coalition Ministers agreed that they would not rehearse again positions that are already widely understood. Instead, we have engaged with leading organisations and individuals, including people who use services. We are also seeking input specifically on the new strategy from other Government Departments and externally.

Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) primary care trusts permitting the use of Sativex,  (b) NHS patients receiving Sativex and  (c) NHS patients refused Sativex in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Information on the number of patient requests for funding for the use of Sativex which have been approved or refused by their local primary care trust (PCT) is not collected. However, information on the number of prescription items dispensed is held.
	Of the 152 PCTs in England, in the period 2009-10, 116 issued prescription items for Sativex were dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom. These are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Savitex prescriptions issued by PCTs in England, dispensed, in the community, in the UK ,  2009-10 
			  PCT  Number 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 1 
			 Barnet 23 
			 Bedfordshire 12 
			 Berkshire East 13 
			 Berkshire West 42 
			 Bexley Care Trust 8 
			 Blackpool 17 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 12 
			 Brent Teaching 1 
			 Brighton and Hove City 21 
			 Buckinghamshire 24 
			 Calderdale 12 
			 Cambridgeshire 15 
			 Camden 4 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 21 
			 Central Lancashire 38 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 12 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 7 
			 County Durham 34 
			 Coventry Teaching 12 
			 Croydon 10 
			 Cumbria Teaching 52 
			 Darlington 3 
			 Derby City 5 
			 Derbyshire County 18 
			 Devon 17 
			 Dorset 48 
			 Dudley 5 
			 Ealing 12 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 11 
			 East Lancashire Teaching 10 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent 23 
			 Gloucestershire 22 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 21 
			 Greenwich Teaching 15 
			 Halton and St Helens 9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5 
			 Hampshire 72 
			 Hastings and Rother 4 
			 Havering 1 
			 Herefordshire 17 
			 Hillingdon 1 
			 Hounslow 2 
			 Hull Teaching 1 
			 Isle of Wight 6 
			 Islington 30 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 33 
			 Kirklees 1 
			 Knowsley 3 
			 Lambeth 13 
			 Leeds 9 
			 Leicester City 4 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 19 
			 Lewisham 9 
			 Lincolnshire 26 
			 Luton 8 
			 Manchester 35 
			 Mid Essex 31 
			 Milton Keynes 14 
			 Newcastle 2 
			 Newham 8 
			 Norfolk 34 
			 North East Essex 16 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 3 
			 North Lancashire Teaching 48 
			 North Lincolnshire 2 
			 North Staffordshire 22 
			 North Tyneside 11 
			 North Yorkshire and York 73 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 56 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 38 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 13 
			 Oxfordshire 17 
			 Plymouth Teaching 3 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 19 
			 Redbridge 2 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 1 
			 Sandwell 8 
			 Sefton 4 
			 Sheffield 25 
			 Shropshire County 14 
			 Solihull Care Trust 5 
			 Somerset 1 
			 South Birmingham 22 
			 South East Essex 20 
			 South Gloucestershire 17 
			 South Staffordshire 32 
			 South Tyneside 13 
			 South West Essex 1 
			 Southampton City 4 
			 Stockport 4 
			 Stoke on Trent 3 
			 Suffolk 22 
			 Sunderland Teaching 5 
			 Surrey 73 
			 Sutton and Merton 1 
			 Swindon 1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 15 
			 Torbay Care Trust 8 
			 Tower Hamlets 15 
			 Trafford 1 
			 Walsall Teaching 9 
			 Waltham Forest 7 
			 Wandsworth Teaching 5 
			 Warrington 2 
			 Warwickshire 7 
			 West Essex 4 
			 West Hertfordshire 35 
			 West Kent 61 
			 West Sussex 52 
			 Western Cheshire 4 
			 Wiltshire 2 
			 Wirral 8 
			 Wolverhampton City 24 
			 Worcestershire 7 
			 Not attributed to a PCT 1 
			 Total 1,866 
			  Source: Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system.

NHS: Fraud

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of cases relating to NHS staff were investigated by the NHS Counter Fraud Squad in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such cases resulted in prosecution.

Simon Burns: The information is in the following tables:
	
		
			   NHS Counter Fraud Service investigations opened in 2009-10 
			 All investigations 482 
			 Related to staff employed by the national health service 279 
		
	
	
		
			   Outcomes of investigations related to staff employed by the NHS 
			 Prosecution and conviction 32 
			 Unsuccessful prosecution 1 
			 Non-criminal sanction or closed with no fraud found 147 
			 Remaining open 99

NHS: Manpower

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of staff employed by the NHS who are provided with private health insurance as part of their remuneration package.

Simon Burns: Private health insurance does not form part of the national terms and conditions of service for any national health service staff group. NHS employers may offer private health insurance to NHS staff as part of a locally determined reward package; information on this is not held centrally.

NHS: Negligence

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the present level of compensation for medical negligence in maternity cases is; and whether he plans to increase it.

Simon Burns: The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) collects data by specialty. Although maternity is not listed as a specialty, obstetrics specialty data are collected. The total obstetrics damages paid out in 2009-10 was £238,970,055. The full data are available from the fact sheet (No. five) in the publication section of the NHSLA website:
	http://www.nhsla.com/NR/rdonlyres/7BDA0851-E6AC-4E50-BAC1-CB32E28932E8/0/NHSLAFactsheet5200910.xls
	The worksheet to use is "Payments made 09-10 Obstetrics".
	The Government do not currently limit levels of compensation in medical negligence. The amount paid in compensation is determined by the courts, or is based on previous court rulings when settled by the parties concerned.

Organs: Donors

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organ donors were registered in Dartford constituency  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of registrations on the Organ Donor Register (ODR) 
			   Total on ODR at beginning of year  New registrations during year  Total on ODR at end of year 
			  Dartford constituency
			 2005 12,248 1,471 13,719 
			 2006 13,719 1,473 15,192 
			 2007 15,192 1,282 16,474 
			 2008 16,474 1,323 17,797 
			 2009 17,797 1,385 19,182 
			 2010 19,182 (1)1,290 (2)20,472 
			 (1) Total number of new registrations in Dartford constituency for 2010 as at  3 November 2010. (2) Total number of people on the Organ Donor Register (ODR) in Dartford constituency as at 3 November 2010.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on NHS charges for treatment of patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Patients presenting at a national health service dental practice would be liable for a band 1 charge of £16.50 for examination, diagnosis and referral if appropriate, unless they were exempt from charges. Any treatment provided in a primary care dental practice would be subject to a further dental charge but, if the patient was referred to a dental or medical specialist in secondary care the treatment would be free of charge.
	The full list of charges can be found on the NHS Choices website at:
	www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1781.aspx?categoryid=74&subcategoryid=742

Primary Care Trusts

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which body will have jurisdiction over GP misconduct inquiries following the abolition of primary care trusts.

Anne Milton: The General Medical Council has responsibility for investigating the fitness to practise of doctors. That will not be affected by the abolition of primary care trusts (PCTs). PCTs have responsibility for managing admission, suspension and removal from Performers Lists. Where suspension or removal is considered but it is not a fitness to practise issue the PCT will initiate an investigation. Detailed arrangements for the management of Performers Lists following the abolition of PCTs are currently being considered by Ministers and departmental officials.

Primary Care Trusts

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he plans to put in place for the repayment of money owed by primary care trusts who are in deficit following their abolition.

Simon Burns: The Department is working with the strategic health authorities to address circumstances where primary care trusts (PCTs) owe money, with the expectation that any deficits will be fully resolved by the end of 2012-13. The issue of PCTs deficits and debt will be covered in further detail in the NHS Operating Framework for 2011-12.

Social Workers: Training

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on continuous professional development for social workers during their working time.

Paul Burstow: Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) is a requirement of professional registration and CPD is now an essential component of the regulated social work profession. The Social Work Reform Board will be advising Government on the continuing professional development of social workers as part of its wider programme of reforming social work in spring next year.

Tobacco: Sales

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what options for the permanent display of tobacco in shops which take into account  (a) public health priorities and  (b) burdens on business he has considered; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Government are considering all the options around tobacco displays and will ensure that an appropriate balance is struck between public health priorities and burdens on business. It would be premature at this stage to offer details of options being considered.

Tuberculosis: Greater London

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis have been diagnosed in London in each of the last three years.

Anne Milton: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis in London, 2007-09 
			   Resistant to any first line drug( 1)  
			   Number of cases  As a percentage of total cases( 2)  Total( 2) 
			 2007 162 9.2 1,762 
			 2008 158 8.4 1,871 
			 2009 192 10.5 1,826 
			 (1) Resistant to at least one of the first line anti-tuberculosis drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide). (2) Culture confirmed tuberculosis cases with drug susceptibility testing results for at least isoniazid and rifampicin.  Source: Health Protection Agency

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Asia-Europe Meeting

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the outcome was of his discussions at the Asia-Europe Meeting on 4 and 5 October 2010.

Nicholas Clegg: The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) provides an excellent opportunity for substantive discussions with key Asian and European partners representing 58% of the world's population and 50% of global gross domestic product.
	In discussion at the summit, I set out the argument for global co-operation on fiscal reduction, international institutional reform and business-led growth in open markets during the discussion on global economic governance. I also discussed North Korea, Iran, the middle east and Burma and called for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. These issues were reflected in the communiqué. The communiqué also sets out a high degree of agreement among the leaders on developing more effective global economic governance and sustainable development, as well as fighting terrorism and the co-ordination of disaster relief efforts.
	In the margins of the summit I held bilateral meetings with leaders from Indonesia, Pakistan, Australia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. I discussed a broad range of issues including the steps being taken by the UK Government to address the deficit and create growth, the Government's determination to boost trade in general and in particular relations with emerging markets. I also outlined UK expectations ahead of the G20 summit in November.
	I also had meetings with European leaders, including those from the European Council and Commission, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Issues discussed included security, EU budgets and economic stability in the eurozone.

Constituencies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations his Department has received in favour of the proposal  (a) for a cross-Solent parliamentary constituency and  (b) that (i) one and (ii) two hon. Members represent the Isle of Wight.

Mark Harper: The Cabinet Office does not record correspondence in a way that would enable us to readily identify whether the authors were for or against particular issues.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent on hospitality for events he hosted in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Nicholas Clegg: The cost of the Deputy Prime Minister's expenditure on hospitality will be made available at the end of the financial year once the Department's resource accounts have been fully audited and laid before Parliament.

Departmental Travel

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent on his official travel in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Nicholas Clegg: The cost of the Deputy Prime Minister's overseas visits is published by the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis:
	http://download.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/transparency/dpm-overseas-travel.csv
	The total cost of his domestic travel will be made available at the end of the financial year once the Department's resource accounts have been fully audited and laid before Parliament.

Members: Correspondence

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West of 17 September 2010.

Nicholas Clegg: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member's letter. My reply was sent on 5 November.

Social Mobility

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the likely effect on levels of social mobility of the outcomes of the spending review.

Nicholas Clegg: The Government have set out a new programme of work for improving social mobility and will consider the impact of the spending review when developing their cross-governmental social mobility strategy. In particular, the 15 hours per week of free early years education to disadvantaged two-year-olds, the pupil premium and the National Scholarship Scheme are all specifically geared towards targeted support to children from lower income backgrounds. The social mobility strategy will be published this winter.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: East Ayrshire

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many full-time equivalent civil service jobs are located in  (a) East Ayrshire and  (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many full-time equivalent Civil Service jobs are located in (a) East Ayrshire and (b) Kilmarnock and Loundoun. (22636)
	Civil Service Statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics on the National Statistics website. The latest published statistics are for March 2009:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cs0110.pdf
	Statistics for 2010 will be published 19 November 2010.
	Figures for the number of civil servants employed in East Ayrshire are attached at Annex A. Figures for Kilmarnock and Loundoun cannot be provided.
	
		
			  Annex A: Civil  service employment ; number of  civil servants  in East Ayrshire( 1) -All employees 
			  31 March 2009  Full-time equivalent 
			 Number of civil servants in East Ayrshire 510 
			 (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey

Civil Servants: Labour Turnover

John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the turnover among civil service staff was in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the turnover among Civil Service staff was in each of the last three years. (22864)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes detailed information on the composition of the Civil Service each year as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES). The latest published statistics are for March 2009:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cs0110.pdf
	Civil Service Statistics does not explicitly contain details on the turnover of Civil Service staff. However, the publication does show the number of leavers from the Civil Service each year along with the total number of staff in post. Based on this information, Annex A provides an estimated turnover rate among Civil Service staff in each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Annex A: Civil service employment-civil service turnover 2007, 2008 and 2009( 1) , all employees 
			  Headcount 
			   Leavers  Average 'staff in post'( 2)  Estimated turnover rate (percentage) 
			 2009(3) 39,010 524,790 7.4 
			 2008(3) 50,770 528,490 9.6 
			 2007(4) 45,630 542,690 8.4 
			 (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.  (2) Average 'staff in post' based on number of staff in post at the commencement and end of the survey reference period.  (3) Survey reference date 31 March.  (4) Survey reference date 30 September.   Source:  Annual Civil Service Employment Survey.

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in his Department's settlement letter in respect of the comprehensive spending review.

Francis Maude: All pressures on Departments' budgets were taken into account as part of the spending review and settlements were allocated accordingly. The full costs of redundancies will be met within the Cabinet Office's spending review resource DEL settlement.

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the costs to his Department of staff redundancy in each of the next four years.

Francis Maude: No estimate of redundancy costs has been made at this stage.

Employment

Karen Buck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of all non-pensioner households are in employment in each region of the United Kingdom.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of all non-pensioner households are in employment in each region of the United Kingdom. 22099.
	Percentages of working households by region are published in table 1(iii) of the 'Work and worklessness among households 2010' Statistical Bulletin, and can be accessed via the ONS website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/work0910.pdf
	A working household is defined as a household that contains at least one person aged 16 to 64, where all individuals aged 16 and over are in employment. Estimates in this table relate to the period April-June 2010.

Employment: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people in the London borough of Bexley who work in the  (a) public and  (b) private sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of people in the London Borough of Bexley who work in the (a) public and (b) private sector. (21755)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) preferred source of statistics for public sector employment is the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (QPSES) and external sources, however figures from this source are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
	Alternatively public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. Consequently, the classification of an individual's sector may differ from how they would be classified in QPSES statistics.
	According to APS figures, in the 12 month period April 2009 to March 2010, 76,000 of the working population in the London Borough of Bexley were employed in the private sector and 28,000 employed in the public sector.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Jobseeker's Allowance: Wolverhampton

Pat McFadden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in Wolverhampton South East constituency were on jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in Wolverhampton South East constituency were on jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months in the latest period for which figures are available. (21762)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	There were 1,065 people resident in Wolverhampton South East constituency in receipt of JSA for over 12 months in September 2010.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Members: Correspondence

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West of 15 July 2010 and 16 August 2010 on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Francis Maude: I replied to the correspondence from the hon. Member regarding the Civil Service Compensation Scheme on 4 November. I apologise for the delay in responding.

Migration

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes there have been in the net level of migration since May 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what changes there have been in the net level of immigration since May 2010 (22392).
	ONS has not published UK migration statistics for the requested time period. The latest provisional long term international migration estimates relate to the year ending December 2009 and were published in August 2010. These rolling annual estimates are updated on a quarterly basis. Provisional estimates for the year ending March 2010 are due for publication on 25 November.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints the Child Support Agency received in each of the last five years; and how many of these were unresolved on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 9 November 2010:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints the Child Support Agency received in each of the last five years; and how many of these were unresolved at the latest date for which figures are available.
	The table shows the number of complaints received in each of the last five years and the number of uncleared complaints at the end of each period. It is not possible to track individual complaints on a cohort basis.
	
		
			   Complaints received 
			 2005-06 62,100 
			 2006-07 47,900 
			 2007-08 37,600 
			 2008-09 27,800 
			 2009-10 25,100 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. From April 2007, the Agency introduced a new complaints resolution process, which simplified the process from three stages to two stages. 3. Figures for 2008-09 include complaints received by the Child Support Agency prior to 1 November 2008, and the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission from the 1 November 2008. 
		
	
	In the year to September 2010, over 99% of complaints were fully resolved and/or had a resolution plan in place within 15 days of receipt. There are currently 1,900 uncleared complaints.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Council Tax Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) pensioner,  (b) working and  (c) other households are in receipt of council tax benefit in each local authority area.

Steve Webb: The information has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Drinking Water

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on bottled water since March 2009.

Chris Grayling: From March 2009 to August 2010 the Department spent £31,735 on providing bottled water, excluding the cost of water coolers, in its offices. The Department stopped the provision of bought-in bottled water for meetings in July 2008. Since then the Department has been using an on-site system in three large sites, which bottles tap water and uses reusable one litre bottles. Between May 2010 and August 2010, the Department reduced expenditure by 85%.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Chris Grayling: No money has been spent by this Department in relation to hospitality events hosted by its Ministers during September or October 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his Department's capital expenditure per head was in  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much and what proportion of his Department's capital expenditure was allocated to  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each of the last five financial years.

Chris Grayling: Departmental capital expenditure per head in  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each of the last five years is shown in table 1.
	The proportion of Departmental capital expenditure allocated to  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each of the last five financial years, and the departmental totals, are shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  £ 
			  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  London  North West  London  North West  London  North West  London  North West  London  North West 
			 6.27 7.38 3.31 4.08 1.19 1.51 0.81 1.05 3.58 4.48 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			   London  North West  London  North West  London  North West  London  North West  London  North West 
			  12.9 (%) 13.9 (%) 11.5 (%) 12.9 (%) 10.2 (%) 11.8 (%) 9.7 (%) 11.3 (%) 9.6 (%) 10.9 (%) 
			 Total DWP Capital DEL (£ million) 354 - 207 - 84 - 91 - 275 - 
			 Total DWP Capital AME(1) (£ million) 101 - 185 - 140 - 136 - 171 - 
			 (1) Capital AME figures relate to net lending on the Social Fund 
		
	
	Figures are sourced from the Treasury's Country and Regional Analysis, which is a yearly exercise that departments participate in and which allocates departmental spending to regions based on who benefits from that spending, not necessarily where the spending takes place. The exercise culminates in the publication of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Command Paper (PESA 2010, CM 7890).
	Chapters 9 and 10, linked below, contain guidance on what spending is covered and best practice on how departments should allocate spending to regions.
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm#cra
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_country_regional_analysis.htm

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in his Department's settlement letter in respect of the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the Comprehensive Spending Review in respect of  (a) his Department,  (b) its non-departmental public bodies and  (c) other public bodies which are dependent on his Department for funding;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of staff redundancy in each of the next four years.

Chris Grayling: The impact of the spending review settlement on future staffing levels and the position on the need for any redundancies is complex. While the Department's core budget will be reduced by 26% in real terms over the four years to 2014-15 the Department will receive substantial extra resources to deliver a range of new measures.
	This position is likely to result in staffing being reduced in some areas of the Department and increased in others, and at different rates. More detailed work will now be undertaken to allocate the overall settlement to the different parts of our business and assess the resulting staffing levels. This detailed planning will need to take account of likely staff turnover rates and the potential for internal and external redeployment before assessing the need for any redundancies in the Department and its non-departmental public bodies.
	All pressures on the Department's budgets were taken into account as part of the spending review and settlements were allocated accordingly. The full costs of any redundancies, should these be unavoidable, will be met from within the Department's departmental expenditure limit (DEL) settlement.

Disability Aids: Care Homes

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department provides guidance to adults living in residential care who have entered into loan agreements to pay for the cost of mobility aids.

Maria Miller: Disability living allowance is paid to assist people with the extra cost of disability. It is for each individual to decide how to spend their benefit. The Department does not issue any guidance to individuals on how any benefit award should be spent including loan agreements or mobility aids.

Disability Living Allowance

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people receiving disability living allowance who will have the amount of benefit they receive reduced in each of the next three years.

Maria Miller: The Budget announced that from 2013-14 we would reform disability living allowance by introducing a new, more objective assessment to ensure support is focused on those with greatest need and distributed on a consistent, transparent basis, while continuing to tackle the inequalities that can arise from severe disability. We are developing the new assessment in collaboration with a group of independent health and disability specialists and representatives of disabled people. We intend to run a formal, public consultation exercise on our proposals in the coming months.
	The spending review announced that from 2012 we would withdraw payment of, but not entitlement to, the mobility component of disability living allowance to publicly funded residents in care homes once they have been there for 28 days. Local authority contracts with care homes should cover services to meet all a resident's assessed needs, including any assessed mobility needs, so an individual's care support and mobility needs should be met by residential care providers from social care funding. This measure will remove an overlap of public funds while ensuring that resources continue to be targeted at disabled people with the greatest needs.
	Disability living allowance mobility component recipients in residential care will continue to retain entitlement and payments will be reinstated should they leave residential care, subject to satisfying the normal conditions of entitlement. We estimate there are currently around 60,000 people in publicly funded care homes who are in receipt of the mobility component of DLA.

Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultation he undertook with  (a) charities,  (b) third sector organisations and  (c) other disability organisations prior to his decision to remove the mobility component of disability living allowance for those who live in residential care homes; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: Local authority contracts with care homes should cover services to meet all a resident's assessed needs, including any assessed mobility needs, so an individual's care support and mobility needs should be met by residential care providers from social care funding. This measure will remove an overlap of public funds while ensuring that resources continue to be targeted at disabled people with the greatest needs.
	As part of the spending review all organisations are given the opportunity to contribute to the priorities of the spending review. Across Government, consultation on specific spending review measures was not undertaken. All measures are subject to the parliamentary process, and we are committed to the involvement of charities, third sector organisations and other disability organisations in the ongoing development of policy in these areas.

Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people living in residential care in Scotland who receive the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: Information that estimates the number of disability living allowance claimants in residential care homes in Scotland is not available.

Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact assessment he has undertaken on the likely effects on those living in residential care of the proposed removal of the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: The equality impact assessment for removing the mobility component of disability living allowance from state-funded care home residents after 28 days is still being completed and will be published shortly. Consideration was given to the equality impacts of the measure when the proposal was being developed. The measure will largely affect disabled people of working age. We anticipate minimal impact on gender, race, sexual orientation and religion/belief.
	Local authority contracts with care homes should cover services to meet all a resident's assessed needs, including any assessed mobility needs, so an individual's care support and mobility needs should be met by residential care providers from social care funding. This measure will remove an overlap of public funds while ensuring that resources continue to be targeted at disabled people with the greatest needs.

Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people living in residential care whose mobility costs are met from the public purse who receive the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: We estimate that approximately 60,000 people who claim disability living allowance and live in residential care currently receive a mobility component in Great Britain. This figure does not include people who are fully self funding their stay in a residential care home.
	Local authority contracts with care homes should cover services to meet all a resident's assessed needs, including any assessed mobility needs, so an individual's care support and mobility needs should be met by residential care providers from social care funding. This measure will remove an overlap of public funds while ensuring that resources continue to be targeted at disabled people with the greatest needs.

Employment and Support Allowance

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the time limit on contributory employment and support allowance payments will apply to claimants who find employment within a year but do not retain it.

Chris Grayling: As part of the spending review announcement, we propose to introduce a time limit of one year for those claiming contributory employment and support allowance and who are placed in the work-related activity group. All other groups claiming employment and support allowance are not affected by this measure.
	We are presently considering the detailed rules that will apply to time limiting contributory ESA, including those around linking rules.

Employment Schemes

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has plans to introduce a financial limit on prime contractors' spending on management and administration costs in contracts under the Work Programme.

Chris Grayling: As part of the procurement process we will be fully sighted on proposed bidder costs including their proposed management and administration costs. The Department will not be seeking to limit or cap any provider's spending as this may constrain delivery ability/options available to Prime Providers. However, we will be undertaking a detailed evaluation process for each provider's proposal so that we can ensure that contracts are awarded on a value for money basis.

Housing Benefit: Argyll and Bute

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many tenants in Argyll and Bute broad rental market area were paid local housing allowance in each of the last 12 months; and how much was paid to such tenants in that allowance in each such year.

Steve Webb: The information is not available at the broad rental market area level. The information for Argyll and Bute local authority is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients in Argyll and Bute local authority 
			   Housing benefit recipients  Of which,  assessed under the local housing allowance arrangements 
			 August 2009 6,280 1,480 
			 September 2009 6,270 1,470 
			 October 2009 6,260 1,470 
			 November 2009 6,250 1,480 
			 December 2009 6,310 1,500 
			 January 2010 6,370 1,530 
			 February 2010 6,430 1,560 
			 March 2010 6,460 1,590 
			 April 2010 6,490 1,600 
			 May 2010 6,480 1,570 
			 June 2010 6,440 1,560 
			 July 2010 6,430 1,560 
			  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract. Figures reported are as at the second Thursday of the month, and are rounded to the nearest 10 recipients. 
		
	
	Based on the local authority final subsidy returns for the financial year 2009-10, the local housing allowance expenditure in Argyll and Bute was £6,217,918.

Housing Benefit: Landlords

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that the full monetary value of housing benefit paid to tenants is received by landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Housing benefit in the private rented sector is normally paid to the tenant but there are safeguards in place to ensure that they do not lose their tenancy if they fall, or are at risk of falling, into arrears.
	If the tenant has rent arrears of eight weeks or more the local authority should make payments to the landlord unless it is in the tenant's overriding interest not to do so.
	For tenants whose benefit is assessed according to the local housing allowance rules, the local authority can make payments to the landlord if it considers the customer is unable or unlikely to manage their rental payments.
	Other tenants in the private rented sector and those who have tenancies with registered social landlords can choose to have their benefit paid to the landlord. The local authority can also decide to make payment to the landlord if they consider it to be in the customer's best interests.
	For local authority tenants housing benefit takes the form of a rebate against their rent account.

Industrial Health and Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to make the assessment of a low hazard business in respect of health and safety.

Chris Grayling: Lord Young's report to the Prime Minister of the operation of health and safety laws and the growth of the compensation culture includes recommendations aimed at low hazard business. It points to offices, shops and classrooms as examples of workplaces which can be of lower risk on the basis that the risk of injury or death is minimal. The latest figures show that only around 3% of all workplace injuries in Great Britain involve offices and that no office workers died as a result of accidents at work in 2009.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed guidance and example risk assessments primarily aimed at lower risk businesses. HSE has been guided by the definition of risk as a concept embodying a combination of likelihood and consequence. Therefore, low risk activities are those that have a low likelihood and minor consequences.

Mental Health

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities contained in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being by the Government Office for Science; if he will ensure that his Department takes steps to promote well-being; if he will ensure that his Department's policy development process takes account of psychological research into subjective well-being; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The expertise and vision of the Foresight report has informed our approach to health and work. The relationship between health, work and well-being is right at the heart of the welfare reforms we are implementing, which is why we have designed the new Work Programme to allow employment support providers to tailor help to individual needs, and foster self efficacy and mental capital.
	Because promoting and protecting well-being goes beyond the remit of one Department, DWP also contributes to a cross-Government programme of action to promote well-being and improve health at work. It is in all of our interests to stop people falling out of work and onto benefits through ill health. Failure to act results in heavy costs to individuals, employers, the economy and society and can contribute to working-age ill health, avoidable sickness absence and job loss through ill health.
	As announced in the June Budget, the Cabinet Office and ONS are taking work on measuring societal well-being forward-in particular regarding the lessons for the UK from the Stiglitz, Sen and Fenoussi report. We have in the past supported the use of subjective well-being measures in research on deprivation and its impact on individual. The DWP is working closely with other Departments on exploring how to take account of subjective well-being in specific policy interventions and measuring overall economic performance.

National Insurance

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individual national insurance numbers there are.

Chris Grayling: The latest available figures (2010) show a total of 82.13 million national insurance number (NINo) records on the Department's Customer Information System (CIS). These consist of:
	62.98 million Live NINo Accounts
	19.15 million NINo Accounts with a date of death applied.
	 Note:
	The figures provided are from the Customer Information (Live) Database in April 2010 and are subject to rounding. The figures are Management Information (MI) collected for the purpose of managing DWP Business, and therefore have not been subjected to the rigorous quality assurance that is applied to DWP official statistics.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's publication Tackling Fraud and Error in the Benefit and Tax Credits Systems, October 2010, what factors other than previous convictions for fraud would lead to an application for a benefit being considered particularly at risk of being fraudulent or in error.

Chris Grayling: The Department's new joint strategy with HMRC for tackling welfare fraud and error contains a wide range of measures to: prevent fraud and error from entering the system in the first place; detect and correct mistakes where they do happen; deliver tough punishments for those who defraud the system; and deter those who would try to abuse the system in the future.
	With regard to factors other than previous convictions for fraud which could identify cases at risk of being fraudulent or in error, we will develop these through analysis of common characteristics in past fraud and error cases alongside application of the most effective risk profiling techniques used within and outside Government.

Veterinary Services: Regulation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department issues on the application of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to veterinary surgeons working in  (a) pig and poultry abattoirs and  (b) meat cutting plants.

Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published generic guidance, both written and web-based, on the application of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and on a proportionate approach to managing health and safety risks.
	HSE has worked closely with a number of organisations representing the veterinary profession in recent years, including the British Veterinary Association (BVA), including by:
	Providing speakers on a wide-range of relevant health and safety topics for training courses;
	Assisting in developing a health and safety manual for the veterinary profession; and
	Writing articles on issues such as zoonoses, cattle handling and risks to pregnant workers for the BVA's journal 'In Practice'.
	HSE has also contributed to the development of guidance by other organisations relevant to the work of veterinary surgeons, such as the British Meat Processors Association's Guidance Notes on 'Safety when handling cattle in slaughterhouses', 'Q fever' and 'Personal protective equipment in the meat industry'.

Vocational Training: Merseyside

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unemployed people received employment training and advice from contracted service providers in each local authority area in the Merseyside sub-region in each of the last five years; and how many of these found employment within  (a) one month,  (b) three months and  (c) six months of receiving such services in each such year.

Chris Grayling: Information to answer the full request is not available. The Department offers a range of contracted employment provision to support jobseekers in finding employment. It is not possible to identify participants on all of the contracted provision offered by the Department due to the wide range of support available and the ways in which starts to these programmes have been recorded. However, we can identify individuals who have been recorded by DWP computer systems as participating on contracted provision offered through the following schemes: New Deal for Young People, New Deal for the Long Term Unemployed, Private Sector-Led New Deal, Employment Zones, Flexible New Deal, Programme Centres, Jobcentre Plus Support Contracts, Backing Young Britain, Young Person's Guarantee and the 6 month offer. These represent the majority of provision aimed specifically at jobseekers.
	The information can be found in the following tables:
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people that received at least one spell of employment training or advice from a contracted service provider in each of the Merseyside local authorities during each of the last five years 
			   Knowsley  Liverpool  St Helens  Sefton  Wirral 
			 2006 920 4,320 780 1,110 1,800 
			 2007 1,100 5,540 1,110 1,350 2,150 
			 2008 1,190 5,280 1,020 1,480 2,150 
			 2009 1,910 7,270 1,730 2,320 3,000 
			 2010(1) (1)2,200 (1)7,240 (1)2,040 (1)2,370 (1)3,300 
			 (1) Data for 2010 are partial. Some data is complete to August 2010 while the remainder is complete to the end of September 2010.  Notes: 1. Geographies are based on individuals' latest known address rather than their address at the point of entry to provision. 2. If an individual attended more than one type of contracted provision in any year, they are only counted once. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. Figures include contracted provision available through the following schemes: New Deal for Young People, New Deal for the Long Term Unemployed, Private Sector-Led New Deal, Employment Zones, Flexible New Deal, Programme Centres, Jobcentre Plus Support Contracts, Backing Young Britain, Young Person's Guarantee and the six month offer.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Delivery Directorate: New Deal for Young People database August 2010, New Deal for Long Term Unemployed database August 2010, Employment Zones database August 2010, Opportunity Types database September 2010 
		
	
	
		
			  Tables 2: Of those who started at least one spell of contracted employment provision, the number who found employment within one month, three months and six months of first start on provision in each of the last five years 
			  Table 2a: Knowsley 
			  Started employment  2006  2007  2008  2009 ( 1) 2010 
			 Within one month of first provision start 60 100 110 110 (1)160 
			 Within three months of first provision start 170 240 280 370 (1)370 
			 Within six months of first provision start 290 390 440 620 (1)530 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2b: Liverpool 
			  Started employment  2006  2007  2008  2009 ( 1) 2010 
			 Within one month of first provision start 170 270 260 350 (1)450 
			 Within three months of first provision start 600 870 870 1,220 (1)1,060 
			 Within six months of first provision start 1,070 1,580 1,490 2,080 (1)1,560 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2c: St Helens 
			  Started employment  2006  2007  2008  2009 ( 1) 2010 
			 Within one month of first provision start 40 70 60 100 (1)110 
			 Within three months of first provision start 130 260 190 320 (1)300 
			 Within six months of first provision start 210 430 340 540 (1)440 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2d: Sefton 
			  Started employment  2006  2007  2008  2009 ( 1) 2010 
			 Within one month of first provision start 40 90 90 160 (1)150 
			 Within three months of first provision start 160 250 260 460 (1)340 
			 Within six months of first provision start 290 440 470 760 (1)500 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2e: Wirral 
			  Started employment  2006  2007  2008  2009 ( 1) 2010 
			 Within one month of first provision start 120 140 130 160 (1)180 
			 Within three months of first provision start 300 380 410 500 (1)470 
			 Within six months of first provision start 490 660 640 860 (1)680 
			 (1) Data for 2010 are only partially complete. Some employment programme data is complete to August 2010 while the remainder is complete to the end of September 2010. P45 records may be included in the WPLS several months after a job actually started, as such, figures for employment in 2010 should be treated as incomplete.  Notes: 1. Employment starts are derived from P45/P46 records within the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. As such, employment attracting earnings below the income tax threshold, and self employment are not included. In some cases, incomplete records mean that we are unable to match individuals to employment spells. 2. Volumes of P45s contained in the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study have altered over time due to changes to HMRC processes. These may drive underlying trends year-on-year. 3. If an individual attended more than one type of contracted provision in any year, employment records were only sought which matched to the first time they started contracted employment provision within that year. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 5. Figures include contracted provision available through the following schemes: New Deal for Young People, New Deal for the Long Term Unemployed, Private Sector-Led New Deal, Employment Zones, Flexible New Deal, Programme Centres, Jobcentre Plus Support Contracts, Backing Young Britain, Young Person's Guarantee and the six month offer. 6. Geographies are based on individuals' latest known address rather than their address at the point of entry to provision.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Delivery Directorate: New Deal for Young People database August 2010, New Deal for Long Term Unemployed database August 2010, Employment Zones database August 2010, Opportunity Types database September 2010, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, September 2010

Welfare State: Reform

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what disability impact assessment he plans to undertake of the proposals for welfare reforms contained in the spending review.

Maria Miller: The Government are strongly committed to the principle of promoting equality. We take our duty to consider the impact of policy decisions on different groups of people very seriously.
	The Department for Work and Pensions assesses the equality impacts of any new policies or changes to existing policies and practice. To that end, there is a well established set of processes to help policy makers develop equality impact assessments based on a strong evidence base.
	The welfare reform measures contained in the spending review that require primary legislation will be included in the forthcoming welfare reform Bill. Alongside the publication of the Bill my Department will publish a full equality impact assessment of its contents, which will include an assessment of the impact of the Bill measures on disabled people.

EDUCATION

Academies

James Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on enabling secondary schools rated as good by Ofsted to apply for academy status.

Nick Gibb: We have received a great deal of interest from schools in converting to become an academy. The Department's website contains a list of schools, both those judged outstanding by Ofsted and otherwise, which have registered their interest. Currently, only schools judged outstanding overall can apply, but we are keen to extend the benefit of academy status to many more schools. An announcement will be made shortly about when the next group of schools will be invited to apply.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  in respect of which Building Schools for the Future projects classified as  (a) stopped and  (b) under discussion damage has been caused to existing school buildings as a result of (i) fire and (ii) flooding in the last 24 months;
	(2)  in respect of which Building Schools for the Future projects classified as  (a) stopped and  (b) under discussion one or more (i) classrooms, (ii) dining facilities, (iii) staff common rooms and (iv) offices in the school are housed in temporary or pre-fabricated accommodation.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 14 July 2010
	This information is not held centrally, nor is it readily available, and to gather it would require a detailed review by Partnerships for Schools (PfS) of each local authority's plans for its Building Schools for the Future investment. It would not be possible for PfS to gather this information in a form that is fully comprehensive without incurring disproportionate cost. We are aware that Campsmount Technology College in Doncaster and Carleton High School in Wakefield, were both damaged by fire. Both of these schools will no longer proceed under the Building Schools for the Future programme. However, the independent Capital Review team is working with building companies on a pilot proposal to rebuild Campsmount Technology College in Doncaster. There is a good prospect that the new school could be rebuilt ahead of the original schedule as the accelerated procurement timetable has been met, and cost savings are being identified by the private sector through the bidding process.

Children in Care

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many section 51 (Children Act 1989) refuge beds are available for children under the age of 16 years.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 4 November 2010
	Local authorities are responsible for deciding on the provision of refuge beds in the light of local need. We do not collect information centrally on the number of beds available.

Children: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what function the reformed ContactPoint database will have in respect of vulnerable children which is not undertaken by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that only details of children already identified as being at risk are stored on the database.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 1 November 2010
	In line with our longstanding policy commitment, ContactPoint was switched off on 6 August 2010. The database is in the process of being permanently decommissioned and the data securely destroyed. Accordingly, the ContactPoint database is not being reformed. We are however exploring the feasibility of an alternative approach to help key professionals support and protect our most vulnerable children, particularly when these children move areas or access services in more than one area. Wherever practicable, we will seek to re-use investment made to date. We will provide an update in due course.

Children: Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what account his Department takes of the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking in determining the level of support provided to guardians of child victims of human trafficking.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 4 November 2010
	Responsibility for the care, protection and accommodation of child trafficking victims rests with local authorities under their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, and in accordance with the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking. Separated and vulnerable children from abroad have the same entitlements as UK born or resident children.
	Where a child is assessed as trafficked and becomes looked after by a local authority, a social worker will be responsible for putting in place an individualised care plan covering the full range of the child's needs. The social worker will also make an assessment of the type of placement which best matches the needs of the child, including the need to safeguard them from contact with traffickers.

Colchester Academy

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to make an announcement on funding for a new building for the Colchester Academy, formerly Sir Charles Lucas Arts College.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 November 2010
	The Secretary of State is currently reviewing the capital funding position for Colchester Academy and aims to confirm this no later than the end of this year.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in his Department have been  (a) subject to disciplinary action,  (b) removed from post,  (c) transferred to another position and  (d) dismissed for matters relating to their (i) disciplinary record and (ii) performance in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education was formed on 12 May 2010. The information covers its predecessors, The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
	Staff may be the subject of formal disciplinary and capability procedures (i) without the imposition of any penalty or (ii) with the imposition of a penalty (such as a written warning, downgrading, and dismissal). Data held on formal disciplinary action taken by the Department against its employees is available from 2005/06 and is set out as follows. Information before this time can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information where the number of employees is less than five has been suppressed on the grounds of confidentiality.
	
		
			  Discipline (misconduct and poor attendance) 
			   Number of employees subject to formal disciplinary action  Number of employees removed from post due to disciplinary action  Number of employees transferred to another position due to disciplinary action  Number of employees dismissed from the Department due to disciplinary action 
			 2009-10 6 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2008-09 5 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2007-08 9 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2006-07 7 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2005-06 9 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 (1) Fewer than 5. 
		
	
	
		
			  Capability (poor performance) 
			   Number of employees subject to formal capability action  Number of employees removed from post due to capability action  Number of employees transferred to another position due to capability action  Number of employees dismissed from the Department due to capability action 
			 2009-10 5 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2008-09 11 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2007-08 13 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2006-07 12 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2005-06 6 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 (1) Fewer than 5.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what severance payments have been paid to  (a) Ministers and  (b) special advisers in his Department who left office after the last general election.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 16 September 2010
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 55W.
	The Government are committed to publishing annually the total cost of special advisers in the form of a written ministerial statement by the Prime Minister. The total cost of severance paid out to special advisers who left office after the last general election will be published in due course.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what eligibility criteria he plans to use for the education maintenance allowance, or its replacement, in 2011-12; and whether the criteria will vary depending on the number of children in a family unit.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 October 2010
	The education maintenance allowance scheme will close at the end of the 2010/11 Academic Year and no new applications will be processed from 1 January 2011. It will be replaced by an enhanced Discretionary Learner Support Fund. Decisions about which young people should receive financial support from the Discretionary Learner Support Fund will be made by schools, colleges and training providers, who are in a better position than Government to determine the needs of individual students. They will target support to those young people who most need it to continue in learning.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what changes he plans to make to the operation of education maintenance allowance in 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 October 2010
	No new applications for the education maintenance allowance will be processed from 1 January 2011 and the scheme will close at the end of the 2010/11 academic year.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Kingston Upon Thames

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of 16 to 18-year-olds in receipt of education maintenance allowance in Kingston upon Hull East constituency who will no longer receive payments as a result of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 November 2010
	This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull East with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Rotherham

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students normally resident in Rotherham receive education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Rotherham with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Sunderland

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in  (a) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency and  (b) Sunderland claimed education maintenance allowance in each year for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Education: Internet

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on online schooling communities; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 October 2010
	The Department has no specific policy on online virtual schooling, but recognises that it can contribute to pupils' education.

Education: Internet

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the merits of online schooling communities; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 October 2010
	Models of Innovation in Learning Online was a Government funded evaluation from 2008. The main finding from this was that students are positive about online education but not enthusiastic about schooling that is entirely based online.

Educational Psychology

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what statutory duties educational psychologists perform for local authorities.

Sarah Teather: Local authorities are required by statute to seek the written advice of an educational psychologist in order to make an assessment of a child's special educational needs.

Educational Psychology

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department's review of special educational needs services will include training and funding arrangements for educational psychologists; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: Educational psychologists make an extremely important contribution to services for children and families. They play an important part in the special educational needs system, in relation to the existing statementing process and also in relation to the support for parents and schools.
	We will consider the role of educational psychologists, and the arrangements for funding their training, within the context of the forthcoming Green Paper on special educational needs and the Government spending review.

Free School Meals: Tottenham

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils at each  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school in Tottenham constituency is eligible for free school meals.

Nick Gibb: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary( 1)  and state-funded secondary( 1,2)  schools: school meal arrangements( 3,4)  as at January 2010: Schools in Tottenham parliamentary constituency 
			  School name  Phase of education  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 Belmont Junior School Primary 26.6 
			 Belmont Infant School Primary 25.6 
			 Coleraine Park Primary School Primary 36.5 
			 Devonshire Hill Primary School Primary 44.3 
			 Earlsmead Primary School Primary 45.8 
			 Lancasterian Primary School Primary 45.7 
			 South Haringey Junior School Primary 34.9 
			 South Haringey Infant and Nursery School Primary 32.6 
			 Stamford Hill Primary School Primary 40.7 
			 West Green Primary School Primary 48.6 
			 Tiverton Primary School Primary 36.6 
			 Welbourne Primary School Primary 39.7 
			 Lea Valley Primary School Primary 53.8 
			 Ferry Lane Primary School Primary 36.1 
			 Crowland Primary School Primary 29.4 
			 Broadwater Farm Primary School Primary 45.8 
			 Bruce Grove Primary School Primary 41.4 
			 Risley Avenue Primary School Primary 52.9 
			 Downhills Primary School Primary 45.3 
			 Seven Sisters Primary School Primary 33.1 
			 Mulberry Primary School Primary 43.4 
			 St Paul's and All Hallows C of E Infant School Primary 25.2 
			 The Green C of E Primary School Primary 31.7 
			 St Ann's C of E Primary School Primary 32.3 
			 St Paul's and All Hallows C of E Junior School Primary 23.5 
			 St Francis de Sales RC Junior School Primary 31.8 
			 St Ignatius RC Primary School Primary 32.2 
			 St Mary's Priory RC Junior School Primary 30.6 
			 St Mary's Priory RC Infant School Primary 30.6 
			 St Francis de Sales RC Infant School Primary 34.7 
			 St John Vianney RC Primary School Primary 25.5 
			 Chestnuts Primary School Primary 27.4 
			 North Haringey Primary School Primary 40.7 
			 Northumberland Park Community School Secondary 53,2 
			 Gladesmore Community School Secondary 63.1 
			 Park View Academy Secondary 39.0 
			 Haringey Sixth Form Centre Secondary (5)- 
			 The John Loughborough School Secondary 22.9 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) There are no city technology colleges or academies in Tottenham parliamentary constituency. (3) Includes sole and dual main registrations. (4) Pupils eligible for free school meals who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (5) Not applicable. This school has no pupils eligible for free school meals who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15.  Source: School Census

Free Schools

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications to open free schools in the academic years  (a) 2011/12 and  (b) 2012/13 his Department has received; what proportion of such applications are from religious and faith-based group; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 November 2010
	The Department for Education has received over 130 free school proposals from a variety of different proposers, including religious and faith-based groups. Of these, most are aiming to open in September 2011. Others give a range of hoped for opening dates, so a precise breakdown is not possible. On 5 November, the names of the first 25 Free School proposals approved to progress to the business case and plan stage were published on the Free Schools website. Of these, eight have a religious dimension, although they have not necessarily been proposed by faith groups.

GCE A-level

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many students identified as  (a) Black African,  (b) Black Caribbean,  (c) Black Other and  (d) White British gained (i) three A* grades or more, (ii) three A grades or more and (iii) 2 A and 1 B grade or more at A-level in each year since 1999;
	(2)  when he plans to answer question 17076, on A-level results, tabled on 8 October 2010.

Nick Gibb: A* grades for A-levels were first awarded in 2010 and these results have not yet been matched to pupil characteristics and so are not provided. The figures requested for three A grades or more and two A and one B grade or more are in the following tables. Figures matching A-level attainment in year 13 to ethnicity, recorded in year 11, are not readily available prior to 2005.
	
		
			  Year 13 students( 1)  from selected ethnic groups( 2)  who achieved three  A grades or more at A-level, 2005 to 2009 
			   Black African  Black Caribbean  Black Other  White British 
			   Number achieving  Number of A-level students  Number achieving  Number of A-level students  Number achieving  Number of A-level students  Number achieving  Number of A-level students 
			 2005 74 1,728 18 1,060 11 326 8,742 105,348 
			 2006 84 1,798 24 1,089 13 352 9,740 107,629 
			 2007 157 3,513 47 1,969 24 636 14,260 153,911 
			 2008 181 4,037 52 2,138 22 737 15,259 158,561 
			 2009 209 4,469 51 2,147 32 732 15,885 161,505 
			  Source:  National Pupil Database. 
		
	
	
		
			  Year 13 students( 1)  from selected ethnic groups( 2)  who achieved two A and one B grade or more at A-level, 2005 to 2009 
			   Black African  Black Caribbean  Black Other  White British 
			   Number achieving  Number of A-level students  Number achieving  Number of A-level students  Number achieving  Number of A-level students  Number achieving  Number of A-level students 
			 2005 116 1,728 40 1,060 22 326 15,044 105,348 
			 2006 159 1,798 56 1,089 21 352 16,589 107,629 
			 2007 293 3,513 101 1,969 51 636 24,227 153,911 
			 2008 320 4,037 122 2,138 53 737 25,854 158,561 
			 2009 379 4,469 143 2,147 61 732 27,144 161,505 
			 (1) Students in maintained schools and FE colleges are included.  (2) Ethnicity as recorded for those who were in maintained schools in year 11.   Source:  National Pupil Database.

New Schools Network

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations his Department has received from applicants to the free schools programme on the  (a) quality and  (b) timeliness of the service provided by the New Schools Network; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 November 2010
	The Department for Education has received positive feedback about the New Schools Network from free school proposers, in relation to both the quality and timeliness of the service it provides.

Ofsted: Inspections

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to reduce the level of administration associated with Ofsted inspections;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Ofsted inspections as a means of evaluating education outcomes.

Nick Gibb: Inspection is most effective where it is sharply focused on core issues and targeted at the schools, colleges and other children's services in most need of improvement. We intend, through our reforms, to reduce inspection related burdens and enhance the contribution that inspection makes to accountability and improvement. In terms of school inspection, we plan to streamline and re-focus arrangements around the core areas of achievement; teaching; leadership; and behaviour and safety, and free up outstanding schools from routine inspection. We have already signalled that the self-evaluation form, which presents a significant administrative burden on schools, will be removed from the end of this academic year. Further details on this programme of reform will be provided in the forthcoming education White Paper.

Primary Education: Teachers

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of  (a) recruitment levels and  (b) retention rates of male primary school teachers in each year since 2000.

Tim Loughton: Tables 1 and 2 give the numbers of full and part-time male entrants to local authority maintained primary (and nursery) schools in each year since 2000(1).
	Table 3 shows the retention rates of male primary (and nursery) school teachers in local authority maintained schools in England. The retention rates are based on the percentage of teachers entering service, in maintained nursery and primary schools, in a particular year who are still in service a number of years later.
	Information on the recruitment and retention of teachers is available from the Database of Teacher Records (DTR). Please note that the DTR is maintained primarily for the administration of teachers' pensions. Although all teachers should be included on the DTR, some records are missing; in particular, part-time teachers are undercounted by around 15%. The most recent data is for the year 2009 as the DTR has a one year time lag.
	(1) This information is published annually in the School Workforce in England statistical first release, additional table C1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Full-time qualified teacher entrants( 1)  in local authority maintained nursery and primary schools by gender and type of flow: Year 31 March 2000/01 to 31 March 2008-09, Coverage: England, Teacher flows (inflow) 
			   199900( 1)  2000-01( 1)  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007/08  2008-09 
			  Nursery and primary men   
			 Newly qualified entrants(2) 1,100 900 1,010 1,110 1,240 1,250 1,400 1,420 1,370 1,390 
			 New to maintained sector(3) 300 400 380 300 310 320 340 370 470 480 
			 Returner to maintained sector(4) 400 600 650 500 470 540 390 450 380 400 
			 Total entrants(5,6) 1,800 1,900 2,040 1,910 2,010 2,110 2,130 2,240 2,220 2,270 
			  Women   
			 Newly qualified entrants(2) 8,000 7,100 7,650 8,000 8,230 7,990 8,920 8,700 8,730 8,810 
			 New to maintained sector3 2,100 2,700 2,660 2,010 2,050 2,360 2,480 2,510 3,030 3,360 
			 Returner to maintained sector4 2,300 3,300 3,560 3,000 2,480 3,070 2,040 2,380 1,860 2,090 
			 Total entrants(5,6) 12,500 13,200 13,880 13,010 12,760 13,430 13,440 13,590 13,610 14,260 
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest 10 except in 1999/00 and 2000/01 where totals have been rounded to the nearest 100. (2) Teacher qualified in the previous year. (3). Teacher has no known service in the English maintained schools sector, and qualified before the previous year. (4) Teacher was not in service in the previous March, but has previous service in the English maintained schools sector. (5) Does not include joiners from part-time service. It does include joiners from the FE, HE and independent sectors and Wales. (6) Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because of rounding.  Note: 2008-09 provisional estimates.  Source:  Database of Teacher Records 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Part-time( 1)  qualified teacher entrants( 2)  in local authority maintained nursery and primary schools by gender and type of flow: Year: 31 March 2000/01 to 31 March 2008/09, Coverage: England teacher flows (inflow) 
			   1999/00( 1)  2000/01( 1)  2001/02  2002/0  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Nursery and Primary   
			  Men   
			 Newly qualified entrants(3) - - 10 10 30 40 50 50 30 40 
			 New to maintained sector(4) 100 100 80 80 100 110 170 170 200 190 
			 Returner to maintained sector(5) 100 200 190 140 160 160 160 150 160 100 
			 Total entrants (6,7) 200 300 280 230 280 310 370 370 390 330 
			  Women   
			 Newly qualified entrants 300 200 210 260 430 430 520 480 540 490 
			 New to maintained sector(4) 1,400 1,700 1,650 1,640 2,070 2,140 2,740 2,850 3,070 3,060 
			 Returner to maintained sector(5) 1,900 2,500 2,640 1,930 1,990 2,600 2,080 1,830 1,600 1,610 
			 Total entrants(6,7) 3,500 4,400 4,510 3,830 4,490 5,160 5,340 5,170 5,210 5,160 
			 (1) 10-20% of part-time teachers may not be included in the data. (2) Rounded to the nearest 10 except in-1999/00 and 2000/01 where totals have been rounded to the nearest 100. (3) Teacher qualified in the previous year. (4) Teacher has no known service in the English maintained schools sector, and qualified before the previous year. (5) Teacher was not in service in the previous March, but has previous service in the English maintained schools sector. (6) Does not include joiners from full-time service. It does include joiners from the FE, HE and independent sectors and Wales. (7) Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because of rounding. Negligible  Note:  2008-09 provisional estimates. '-' = Negligible  Source:  Database of Teacher Records 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Percentage of full and part-time( 1)  qualified male teachers who entered service( 2)  (in maintained nursery and primary schools) in a particular year and who were still teaching a number of years later. 
			  Year entered service( 3)  Total number of entrants( 2)  Percentage of teachers in regular service in the maintained schools sector in England after: 
			1  year  2  years  3  years  4  years  5  years  6  years  7  years  8  years  9 years 
			 1999-2000 2,100 83 75 69 65 61 59 57 56 52 
			 2000-01 2,190 83 74 68 63 60 57 55 53 - 
			 2001-02 2,400 82 74 66 62 59 57 55 - - 
			 2002-03 2,220 82 73 68 64 61 57 - - - 
			 2003-04 2,410 83 74 67 64 62 - - - - 
			 2004-05 2,420 84 77 72 67 - - - - - 
			 2005-06 2,630 80 76 68 - - - - - - 
			 2006-07 2,610 83 76 - - - - - - - 
			 2007-08 2,610 81 - - - - - - - - 
			 2008-09 2,600 - - - - - - - - - 
			 Average percentage of full and part-time teachers who were still in service a number of years after they entered service - 82 75 69 65 62 59 57 56 52 
			 (1) Teachers in part-time service are under-recorded on the DTR by between 10 and 20%. (2) Includes all types of entrants: newly qualified entrants (qualified during the previous academic year), new to the maintained sector (teachers qualified before the previous year who have no known service in the maintained sector) and returners to the maintained sector (teachers who were not in service in the previous year, but have previous service in the maintained sector). (3) Financial year during which the teachers entered service. (4) To calculate the average, information from the last three years was used where possible. (The averages for eight and nine years in service were calculated using the last two years and one year respectively).  Notes: 1. The length of service may not have been continuous; for example, not all of those shown as teaching eight years after entering service in 2000-01 may have taught continuously for eight years, some may have taken periods of time outside of the maintained sector. 2. 2007-08 and 2008-09 are provisional; entrant numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Database of Teacher Records (DTR)

Pupil Exclusions: Violence

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what number and proportion of fixed-period exclusions in maintained schools were for acts of violence in each year since 1997.

Nick Gibb: The available data, on the number and proportion of fixed period exclusions for physical assault against both pupils and adults, are shown in the table.
	Reasons for exclusion were collected for the first time for the school year 2003/04 via the Termly Exclusions Survey. In 2005/06 data were collected via the School Census for secondary schools only. From 2006/07 the collection was extended to include primary and special schools.
	Any violence against school staff is totally unacceptable. Head teachers may decide that permanent exclusion is appropriate in some cases, but opt to use a fixed-term exclusion or other disciplinary penalty for less major incidents such as obstruction or jostling.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3) . Number and proportion of fixed period exclusions that were for physical assault-England 
			   Physical assault against a pupil  Physical assault against an adult  Total physical assaults against a pupil or an adult  Total exclusions (any reasons) 
			   Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of all fixed period exclusions( 4)  Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of all fixed period exclusions( 4)  Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of all fixed period exclusions( 4)  Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of all fixed period exclusions( 4) 
			 2003/04 69,020 20.0 15,990 4.6 85,010 24.7 344,510 100 
			 2004/05 80,700 20.7 18,480 4.7 99,180 25.5 389,560 100 
			 2005/06 - - - - - - - - 
			 2006/07 79,130 18.6 18,530 4.4 97,660 23.0 425,280 100 
			 2007/08 71,280 18.6 17,810 4.6 89,100 23.2 383,520 100 
			 2008/09 69,020 19.0 17,120 4.7 86,130 23.7 362,870 100 
			 '-' Comparable data not available. Data were only collected for secondary schools in 2005/06. (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Excludes non-maintained special schools and general hospital schools. (4) The number of exclusions by reason expressed as a percentage of the total number of exclusions.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census and Termly Exclusions Survey

Pupils: Languages

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many primary school children in each local authority area did not speak English as their first language in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 November 2010
	The latest information on first language in primary schools can be found in table 13a of the Statistical First Release 'Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2010' which can be accessed at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000925/index.shtml

Runaway Children

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what emergency accommodation is available in each local authority area for children who go missing from home.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 4 November 2010
	This information is not held centrally. There is a range of emergency accommodation currently on offer across the country which is provided by local authorities. It is for local authorities themselves to decide on the most appropriate and effective form of emergency accommodation provision in their area for all young people who find themselves without a safe place to stay.

School Leaving: Kent

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of students educated in Maidstone and the Weald constituency who left education at the age of 16 in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: Estimates of participation in education and training for 16 and 17-year-olds in each local authority in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. The full SFR can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000938/index.shtml
	and data by local authority are contained in the fifth set of tables listed on this page.
	These latest estimates show that 2,100 young people of academic age 16 in Kent were not in education or work-based learning at the end of 2008. These data do not go below local authority level and so figures for Maidstone and the Weald are not available.

School Leaving: Watford

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people in Watford constituency left full-time education at the age of  (a) 16 and  (b) 18 years in each year since 2000.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 November 2010
	Estimates of participation in education and training for 16 and 17-year-olds in each local authority in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. The full SFR can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000938/index.shtml
	and data by local authority are contained in the fifth set of tables listed on this page.
	The latest estimates show that 1,500 young people of academic age 16 in Hertfordshire were not in full-time education at the end of 2008, from a population of 14,500. The full time-series is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Table: Participation in full-time education of academic age 16 year olds in Hertfordshire 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 In full-time education(1) 10,800 10,400 10,700 10,900 11,300 11,600 12,300 12,600 13,000 
			 Not in full-time education(2) 1,700 2,400 2,200 2,500 2,400 2,200 1,800 1,800 1,500 
			 Population(3) 13,000 13,000 12,900 13,300 13,700 13,800 14,100 14,400 14,500 
			 (1) Participation is assigned to the local authority in which the young person is resident from 2001 onwards; in 2000 participation in maintained schools, City Technology Colleges and academies was assigned according to the address of the school. Figures are not available disaggregated into parliamentary constituencies or for academic age 18 year olds. (2) Numbers not in full-time education are based on subtracting unrounded full-time participation from unrounded population; hence estimates for participation in full-time education plus not in full-time education might not add up to the published population figure due to rounding. (3) Population estimates are rounded to the nearest 100 from 2002 onwards; prior to 2002 population is rounded to the nearest 1,000 in accordance with Office for National Statistics (ONS) guidelines at the time.

Schools

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of online schooling communities; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 26 October 2010
	The Department currently has no specific plans on online schooling communities.

Schools: Food Supply

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase the proportion of domestically produced food supplied to schools.

Nick Gibb: Maintained schools and local authorities are free to choose the food products they buy and from where they purchase them, so long as the meals provided comply with the statutory school food standards for healthy food and they comply with procurement regulations. Schools and local authorities have been provided with advice about efficient, sustainable food procurement practices that use seasonal produce but such purchasing decisions will continue to be taken locally and should take account of sustainability issues, best quality and value for money.
	The coalition Government are committed to developing Government Buying Standards (GBS) for the public procurement of food and food services, which will mean that Government Departments will have to buy food that meets minimum sustainability standards. The standards will reflect the Government's overarching commitment to procure food that meets British or equivalent standards subject to no overall increase in costs. Once developed, the GBS will be mandatory for central Government Departments and their agencies and will be promoted to the wider public sector, including schools. A stakeholder review of these standards will take place shortly.

Schools: Hearing Impairment

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many hearing impaired units there are in mainstream schools  (a) nationally and  (b) in the West Midlands; and to how many children such units provide services.

Sarah Teather: Information on the number of hearing impaired units within mainstream schools and the number of pupils who attend them is not collected centrally; however, work is underway to enhance Edubase (the Department's register of all educational establishments in England and Wales).

Schools: Hearing Impairment

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his most recent estimate is of the number of British sign language-qualified teachers teaching deaf children in mainstream schools  (a) nationally and  (b) in the West Midlands; and what qualifications such teachers are required to have.

Sarah Teather: We do not routinely collect data regarding the number of British sign language qualified teachers teaching deaf children in mainstream schools either nationally or by region. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that teachers of hearing impaired and deaf children possess the appropriate mandatory qualification to undertake the role. It is a matter for local authorities to ensure that they have enough qualified teachers to meet their statutory commitments.
	The school work force census should, from November 2011, collect data on additional qualifications held by teachers. This will allow us to ascertain the numbers of teachers who possess the mandatory qualification for teaching children with sensory impairments. This approach is subject to the outcome of a review of data collection activity.
	At the end of the year the Government plan to publish a Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities, which will explore how we can improve support for all children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those who are deaf or hearing impaired.
	It is a priority to improve the educational outcomes for all children and we recognise the important role specialists, such as teachers of the deaf, play in meeting this goal.

Schools: Transport

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and its predecessors have spent on  (a) taxis to school and  (b) other personalised forms of school transport in (i) St Albans and (ii) Hertfordshire in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: The Department and its predecessors have not centrally recorded expenditure to this level of detail and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The relevant local authority may be able to provide my hon. Friend with the information that she requires.

Schools: Transport

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the administrative cost to  (a) his Department,  (b) local authorities and  (c) schools of producing school travel plans in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: School travel plans are produced by schools to help them embed sustainable school travel. Since 2004, the Department for Education and the Department for Transport have provided funding to local authorities and schools under the Travelling to School Initiative, to support sustainable school travel, largely by encouraging schools to develop school travel plans.
	We have not collected information about the administrative costs to the Department, local authorities and schools, although we estimate that the cost to the Department is in the region of £3,500 per year. The Department has made funding available to local authorities to pay for school travel advisers to support schools in producing school travel plans. The amounts paid jointly by both the Department for Education and the Department for Transport since 2005 are set out as follows:
	
		
			  Grant paid to local authorities to fund school travel advisers 
			   £ 
			 2005-06 6,714,000 
			 2006-07 6,714,000 
			 2007-08 6,714,000 
			 2008-09 6,714,000 
			 2009-10 6,714,000 
			 2010-11 6,714,000

Students: Disadvantaged

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will introduce a pupil premium for young people  (a) attending college,  (b) in sixth forms and  (c) in apprenticeships.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 October 2010
	 The 16-18 funding formula already has an element that ensures young people from disadvantaged backgrounds attending schools and colleges, or who are funded as an apprentice, receive a funding premium. The formula has two elements which provide students with a funding supplement. These are the funding linked to the disadvantage uplift within the formula and that for additional learning support. Details of the 16-18 funding formula for schools and colleges can be found on the website of the Young People's Learning Agency at:
	http://readingroom.ypla.gov.uk/ypla/funding_rates_and_formula_v2.2.pdf
	and that for apprenticeships on the Skills Funding Agency website at:
	http://readingroom.skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/sfa/Apprenticeship-funding-requirements-2010_11-v1.pdf

Teachers Pensions

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure that the changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme proposed in the report by Lord Hutton on the future of public sector pensions are not implemented.

Nick Gibb: The coalition Government accept the conclusions in Lord Hutton's interim report on public service pensions, in particular:
	the importance of providing good quality pensions to public servants;
	the rejection of a race to the bottom in pension provision;
	the case for further reforms of public service pension schemes; and
	that members of public service schemes should pay more towards their pension benefits, in particular through the implementation of progressive changes to the level of employee contribution that will be phased in from April 2012.
	The coalition Government will await Lord Hutton's final recommendation, due in advance of Budget 2011, before considering the form and content of defined benefits going forward and the precise level of progressive contribution required. The nature and implementation of changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme will be the subject of detailed discussions in the coming months with teacher union and employer representatives.

Teachers: Training

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of masters' programmes for continuing professional development of teachers.

Nick Gibb: The quality of teachers and their professional development are of the utmost importance and this is why we want to encourage more school-led professional development. We want to support teachers to progress further academically and to deepen their subject knowledge, and we are committed to developing a strong culture of professional development where more teachers acquire postgraduate qualifications. We are still considering what place the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) might have in supporting teachers to achieve this.

Written Questions: Government Responses

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to answer question 14256, on the Children, Schools and Families Bill, tabled by the hon. Member for Southend West on 8 September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: A response was issued to my hon. Friend on 4 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 920-21W.

TREASURY

AgustaWestland: Government Assistance

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what mechanisms he plans to disburse the proposed £32 million support for AgustaWestland announced in the spending review.

Danny Alexander: The final form of the assistance is subject to detailed ongoing negotiations with the company.

Anglo Irish Bank

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government are taking to support small investors in the UK who have lost money due to the collapse of the Anglo Irish Bank.

Mark Hoban: Retail depositors in Anglo Irish Bank have not lost any money. The bank continues to operate, and depositors continue to be protected by the Irish Depositor Guarantee scheme and an unlimited guarantee from the Irish Government.
	The Irish Government have announced that an assessor will be appointed by the Minister for Finance to assess whether compensation should be paid to former shareholders of Anglo Irish Bank.

Cheques

Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with British banks on allowing their customers to retain the right to continue to use cheques; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The banking industry has given a clear public assurance, through the Payments Council, that cheque facilities will not be withdrawn unless and until suitable alternatives are in place.

Child Benefit: Disability

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  by what means his Department plans to determine the categories of children to be classified as disabled when considering whether claimants of child benefit who pay income tax at the higher rate will be exempt from the proposed withdrawal of that benefit;
	(2)  when he plans to announce the categories of children to be classified as disabled when considering whether claimants of child benefit who pay income tax at the higher rate will be exempt from the proposed withdrawal of that benefit;
	(3)  whether claimants who pay income tax at the higher rate whose children become disabled will be able to reapply for child benefit.

David Gauke: From January 2013, child benefit will be withdrawn from all families containing a higher rate taxpayer. Disabled children may be eligible for disability living allowance, which provides additional universal financial support to those with disabilities. Disabled children and their families will continue to receive support through the provision of short breaks. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability Green Paper, due to be published in the autumn, will set out proposals intended to further improve the support system.

Crown Currency Exchange

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions the Financial Services Authority (FSA) was contacted with concerns about the operations of Crown Currency Exchange Ltd before its collapse; and which  (a) organisations and  (b) individuals contacted the FSA.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Services Authority's (FSA's) day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. I have asked the FSA to write to the hon. Member on the issue she raises.

Departmental Redundancy

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in his Department's settlement letter in respect of the comprehensive spending review;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review in respect of  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of staff redundancy in each of the next four years.

Justine Greening: All pressures on HM Treasury's budget were taken into account as part of the spending review and the settlement was allocated accordingly.
	Detailed decisions regarding any redundancies and consequent cost that may be required in HM Treasury or its non-departmental public bodies will be taken over the coming months.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of bringing forward proposals to make payments to Equitable Life members who purchased their policies prior to September 1992.

Mark Hoban: With profits annuitants (WPAs) who took out policies before 1 September 1992 did so before any maladministration could have affected their decisions, so therefore have not been included in the Government's proposed payment scheme.
	The Government are committed to implementing the parliamentary ombudsman's recommendation to introduce a fair and transparent payments scheme to Equitable Life policyholders for their relative loss as a result of regulatory failure.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the financial loss to Equitable Life policyholders who purchased their policies prior to September 1992.

Mark Hoban: Policyholders who purchased their policies prior to September 1992 did so before any maladministration could have affected their decisions. As such they do not have a relative financial loss for that period.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of Equitable Life policyholders who purchased their policy prior to September 1992 who were affected by the maladministration of Equitable Life.

Mark Hoban: With profits annuitants (WPAs) who took out policies before 1 September 1992 fall outside the Government's proposed payment scheme. Therefore we do not hold data on this group of policyholders.

EU Budget

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the process for agreeing the EU Financial Perspective for 2014 to 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The European Commission will put forward its proposals for the next EU budget financial perspective in 2011. However, the Government are greatly concerned about growing UK contributions to the EU budget. As such, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have been working closely with other member states to ensure the EU budget contributes to the difficult fiscal consolidation being undertaken across the EU. In particular, at the October European Council:
	First, the UK won backing from 12 other member states-including Germany and France-to put a stop to the 6% increase in the 2011 EU Budget that was being proposed by the European Parliament. A UK-led joint letter underlined that "we are clear that we cannot accept any more than" the 2.9% increase being proposed by the Council.
	Second, the UK has secured an important new principle for the EU budget in future years. From now on the EU budget will reflect the spending cuts being made by national governments. To quote the conclusions text:
	"Heads of State or Government stressed that, at the same time as fiscal discipline is reinforced in the European Union, it is essential that the European Union budget and the forthcoming multi-annual Financial Framework reflect the consolidation efforts being made by Member States to bring deficit and debt onto a more sustainable path."
	As such, because of UK action on the EU budget, we have now agreed that the EU budget must reflect the difficult choices we are making in our own countries.

Financial Services: Regulation

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment the Financial Services Authority has made of the foreign exchange industry; and what progress he has made on his examination of the case of Crown Currency Exchange.

Mark Hoban: The administrators are reviewing the trading operations of Crown Currency Exchange, its financial position and the conduct of its directors. Once the administrators have reported, the Government will look closely at this case to see what lessons need to be learned from the failure of the company.
	The Financial Services Authority's (FSA's) day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. However, I understand that the FSA has met the administrators of Crown Currency Exchange and awaits the administrators' report.

Research and Development Tax Credit

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 668W, on the Research and Development Tax Credit, 
	(1)  what proportion of research tax credits he expects to be paid to  (a) manufacturing and  (b) financial services in each year to 2014-15;
	(2)  what proportion of receipts from corporation tax is derived from  (a) manufacturing and  (b) financial services.

David Gauke: Information on the amount of research and development tax credit paid is not broken down by industrial sector.
	Historical figures for corporation tax receipts paid by several broadly-defined business sectors are regularly updated and published in Table 11.1, on Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs National Statistics website. These include manufacturing and financial services excluding life receipts. The latest update is available here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/table11.1.pdf

Revenue and Customs: Christchurch

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what facilities are available to taxpayers in Christchurch constituency to talk to a member of HM Revenue and Customs staff about their tax affairs in person.

David Gauke: HMRC does not have an office in the Christchurch constituency. However HMRC does have an inquiry centre approximately four miles away in Bournemouth where customers who need advice on their tax affairs can make an appointment. To do this customers can either telephone one of HMRC's helplines, depending on the nature of their query, or go to the inquiry centre in person. It is open from 8.30 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and the address is:
	Holland House
	Oxford Road
	Bournemouth
	BH8 8DZ
	The helpline numbers are available on HMRC's website at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk

Revenue and Customs: Databases

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the  (a) merits and  (b) cost of introducing a real-time information system to the National Insurance and PAYE Service computer system.

David Gauke: In July this year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published a discussion paper on improving the operation of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE). The paper sought views on changes to PAYE, including a move to collect information about tax and other calculations in real time. This was the first stage of a consultation process to seek views and opinions from all interested parties regarding the benefit that real time information would bring to PAYE.
	Responses to the discussion paper indicate that there is strong support for the collection of real-time earnings information. A consultation paper will be issued in due course.
	Real time information will enable better data to be transmitted to the National Insurance and PAYE Service (NPS). It will also deregulate employers and improve the accuracy of PAYE and tax credits for individuals and HMRC.
	£100 million was allocated in the spending review to further improve the operation of PAYE, and build on the investments already made in NPS, using real time information.

Social Security Benefits

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much and what proportion of the estimate in the Social Security Forecast for Annual Managed Expenditure he expects to spend on  (a) the basic state pension,  (b) jobseeker's allowance,  (c) employment and support allowance, (d) housing benefit,  (e) council tax benefit and  (f) pension credit in each year to 2015.

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
	Forecasts presented are in nominal terms, and therefore the main factor driving trends in the forecasts over the period shown is the uprating of benefits. Forecasts also reflect demographic changes, June Budget and spending review policy measures, and the ongoing effects of employment and support allowance replacing incapacity benefit. The jobseeker's allowance forecast includes additional claimants due to this, and also to the lone parent obligation.
	The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Annually managed expenditure, Great Britain 
			  £ million, nominal 
			   2009-10  2010-11  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15  2015-16 
			 Basic state pension 53,653 55,821 59,028 61,513 63,946 67,199 70,841 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 4,690 4,568 4,974 5,080 5,028 4,871 4,579 
			 Employment and support allowance 1,268 2,749 4,899 6,491 8,174 9,861 10,665 
			 Housing benefit 19,978 21,536 21,913 21,735 20,825 21,499 22,042 
			 Council tax benefit 4,698 5,004 4,891 4,906 4,403 4,470 4,597 
			 Pension credit 8,133 7,960 7,572 7,340 7,069 6,942 6,865 
			 Total annually managed expenditure 147,430 152,246 156,226 158,728 159,762 164,403 170,669 
		
	
	
		
			  As proportion of total (percentage) 
			   2009-10  2010-11  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15  2015-16 
			 Basic state pension 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Employment and support allowance 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 
			 Housing benefit 14 14 14 14 13 13 13 
			 Council tax benefit 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Pension credit 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 
			 Total annually managed expenditure 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			  Note: Figures cover Great Britain only.  Source: June Budget forecasts with spending review measures

Tax Evasion

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he made of the cost to the economy of tax evasion in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs published the latest available estimates of the tax gap in September 2010 in "Measuring Tax Gaps 2010"
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps-2010.htm.pdf
	This included an illustrative split of the 2007-08 tax gap by taxpayer behaviour, based on management assumptions and judgment. This indicated that the amount of tax (income tax and national insurance contributions, corporation tax and VAT) lost to evasion is around 17.5% of the total, with the hidden economy accounting for a further 7.5%.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of the budget deficit to be reduced by revenue from green taxes in each of the next three years.

Justine Greening: The coalition Government are committed to increasing the share of revenue drawn from green taxes. All taxes are kept under review and announcements on tax policy are made at the Budget. Forecasts for receipts from taxes are set out in table C11 of Budget 2010.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Banks: Loans

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2010,  Official Report, column 1255W, on banks: loans, what steps he plans to take to increase the availability of credit finance to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mark Prisk: The coalition Government have articulated their ambition to ensure the flow of credit to viable SMEs. The Government have published their response to the consultation on business finance issues, "Financing a private sector recovery". It is available at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/businessfinance
	There are various measures in place to support access to finance for SMEs. I aim to continue to support and improve the diversity of sources and access to finance for SMEs that meet their needs. Such sources of finance were announced by the Chancellor in the budget and later enhanced by the Government's response to the consultation "Financing a private sector recovery":
	A four year extension to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) making around £2 billion available to viable small companies without a credit history or lacking sufficient collateral.
	An increased commitment of the Enterprise Capital Fund by £200 million to support small businesses with the highest growth potential, providing more than £300 million of investment into the equity gap after both Government and private sector funding are combined.
	Welcoming a joint bid from business angels and the Government's SME investment arm, Capital for Enterprise Ltd., for a co-investment fund as part of the Regional Growth Fund. If successful, this would support angel investments into high growth potential early stage SMEs, particularly in areas worst affected by public spending cuts.
	Welcoming the banks' announcement of a new £1.5 billion Business Growth Fund, to provide equity funding of between £2 million and £10 million for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with strong growth potential. The Government will also work with the British Bankers' Association's Business Finance Taskforce and banks on a range of commitments set out in their response to the Green Paper and which will assist small businesses with access to finance issues. These include mentoring and a new lending code.

Broadband: Redditch

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the funding allocated to broadband programmes in the Comprehensive Spending Review will be spent on programmes located in Redditch constituency.

Edward Vaizey: The information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	To date no allocation of funds has been made for projects in the Redditch constituency, or any other constituency.

Business: Loans

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that small businesses have access to finance in the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Mark Prisk: The Government's response to the Green Paper 'Financing a Private Sector Recovery' was published on 1 November 2010. Among other measures, we have confirmed our intention to continue the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme until 2014-15, providing up to £600 million of additional lending to around 6,000 small and medium enterprises next year alone and over £2 billion in total over the next four years, subject to demand. We have also undertaken to continue the programme of Enterprise Capital Funds by increasing our commitment by £200 million over the next four years, providing more than £300 million of investment for early stage innovative SMEs.

Business: Newton Abbot

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to increase access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises in Newton Abbot constituency.

Mark Prisk: The coalition Government have articulated its ambition to ensure the flow of credit to viable SMEs. The Government's has published its response to the consultation on business finance issues, "Financing a private sector recovery".
	It is available at
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/businessfinance
	There are various measures in place to support access to finance for SMEs. I aim to continue to support and improve the diversity of sources and access to finance for SMEs that meet their needs. Such sources of finance available to SMEs including those in my hon. Friend's constituency of Newton Abbot were announced by the Chancellor in the budget and later enhanced by the Government's response to the consultation "Financing a private sector recovery":
	A four year extension to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) making around £2 billion available to viable small companies without a credit history or insufficient collateral. As at 28 October, 11 businesses in the constituency of Newton Abbot have been offered EFG backed loans with a value of £69,000 all of which have been drawn.
	An increased commitment of the Enterprise Capital Fund by £200 million to support small businesses with the highest growth potential, providing more than £300 million of investment into the equity gap after both Government and private sector funding are combined.
	Welcoming a joint bid from business angels and the Government's SME investment arm, Capital for Enterprise Ltd., for a co-investment fund as part of the Regional Growth Fund. If successful, this would support angel investments into high growth potential early stage SMEs, particularly in areas worst affected by public spending cuts.
	Welcoming the banks' announcement of a new £1.5 billion Business Growth Fund, to provide equity funding of between £2 million and £10 million for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with strong growth potential. The Government will also work with the British Bankers' Association's Business Finance Taskforce and banks on a range of commitments set out in their response to the green paper and which will assist small businesses with access to finance issues. These include mentoring and a new lending code.

Business: North East

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of jobs  (a) created and  (b) safeguarded as result of securing grants from the Grant for Business Investment scheme in 2009-10; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to the public purse of each such job in the North East.

Mark Prisk: In 2009/10 332 offers were made and accepted under the Grant for Business Investment scheme. These were expected to create a total of 6,542 new jobs and safeguard 4,111 jobs. In the north-east the average cost to the public sector of each such job is £5,412.

Business: North East

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what factors he took into account when taking the decision to withdraw the Grant for Business Investment scheme; how many applications were made to the Grant for Business Investment scheme in the North East in 2009-10; how many offers of funding were made; and what the total monetary value of such offers was.

Mark Prisk: As is made clear in the Local Growth White Paper (Cm 7961), while the Grant for Business Investment scheme provided by the regional development agencies will cease with their closure, large scale cases will be considered, on an exceptional basis, by this Department.
	This decision took into account a wide range of relevant factors, including particularly the planned closure of the regional development agencies, the need to reduce the budget deficit and the likely future availability of other types of support for business.
	In the north-east 142 applications for support under the Grant for Business Investment scheme were received in 2009/10. Over the same period 73 offers of support were made and accepted. The total value of these offers was £17,524,000.

Business: Northumberland

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in  (a) Wansbeck constituency and  (b) Northumberland county.

Mark Prisk: A number of measures which are being undertaken with the purpose of stimulating growth which are particularly targeting support for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
	As the regional development agencies are decommissioned I will introduce a new and flexible delivery system which will include a national website, a national contact centre and access to mentors which should help SMEs to grow. I also intend to establish a network of Growth Hubs in England to support businesses with high growth potential.
	The Government will provide highly focused support to SMEs through a renewed and streamlined portfolio of business improvement products through Solutions for Business to be launched by this Department by April 2011.
	We are establishing Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as set out in the White Paper on Local Growth. This will involve local business and civic leaders working together to drive economic growth and create new jobs in their communities. Discussions are under way on the formation of a LEP that will include Northumberland.

Business: West Midlands

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist the development of small and medium-sized businesses in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Coventry.

Mark Prisk: A number of measures which are being undertaken with the purpose of stimulating growth which are particularly targeting support for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
	As the regional development agencies are decommissioned I will introduce a new and flexible delivery system which will include a national website, a national contact centre and access to mentors which should help SMEs to grow. I also intend to establish a network of Growth Hubs in England to support businesses with high growth potential.
	The Government will provide highly focused support to SMEs through a renewed and streamlined portfolio of business improvement products through Solutions for Business to be launched by this Department by April 2011.
	We are establishing Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as set out in the White Paper on Local Growth. Coventry will be covered by a new LEP for Coventry and Warwickshire. This will involve local business and civic leaders working together to drive economic growth and create new jobs in their communities.

Copyright Tribunal

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are employed by the Copyright Tribunal; and how much was spent on salary costs in the last year for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: holding answer 4 November 2010
	 The Copyright Tribunal is not an employer in its own right. The members of the tribunal, both legally qualified and lay members, are either offering their services as part of their existing judicial duties and hence remunerated through their existing judicial salaries, or are paid on a per diem basis for attendance. The tribunal's administrative and secretarial needs are met by one part-time employee of the Intellectual Property Office.

Copyright Tribunal

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many redundancies he expects there to be at the Copyright Tribunal as a result of the implementation of the Government's proposals for public bodies reform; and what he expects the (a) severance and (b) pension arrangements to be for employees.

Edward Davey: The Copyright Tribunal is not an employer in its own right and hence there are no redundancies envisaged. It will retain the expertise of its legally qualified and lay members after its transfer to the Tribunal Service. The Copyright Tribunal's secretariat resource will transfer along with the Tribunal.

Copyright Tribunal: Buildings

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the address is of each property  (a) leased and  (b) owned by the Copyright Tribunal; and what the annual rental costs of those buildings were in each of the last three years.

Edward Davey: The Copyright Tribunal does not own or lease any buildings. Its secretariat is co-located within the Intellectual Property Office's leased space at 21 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3HF. The IPO also supplies hearing and meeting rooms as required by the tribunal and this forms part of the cost recharged to the tribunal.

Debts: Complaints

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps have been taken since publication by the Office of Fair Trading of its Debt Management Guidance Compliance Review to increase awareness in the debt management sector of the Financial Ombudsman Service's rules on resolving consumer complaints.

Edward Davey: The compliance review has highlighted problems within this industry. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) set out the immediate steps it has taken in the report, including warning 129 non-compliant audited debt management firm, that they face losing their consumer credit licences unless they take immediate action to address identified areas of non-compliance, including bringing their consumer complaints handling procedures into line with the Financial Ombudsman Service's (FOS) rules. The OFT also disseminated its report to approximately 1,200 licensed providers of debt advice. On 2 November 2010, a senior director from the OFT gave a speech to over 200 representatives from the debt management industry at the main trade body's (Debt Resolution Forum) annual conference which sent a strong and clear message to the industry about the improvements it must make in the coming year, including addressing the OFT's concerns about poor levels of compliance with the FOS regime. In addition, the OFT plans to update its guidance and will continue to work with the two main trade bodies, the Debt Managers Standards Association (DEMSA) and the Debt Resolution Forum (DRF) to support their initiatives to introduce higher standards into the industry.

Debts: Licensing

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on the process by which those debt management firms which do not provide independently audited evidence that they have brought their operations into compliance with OFT debt management guidance by the end of 2010 would have their licences revoked.

Edward Davey: The primary focus in 2010 for the team that investigates traders engaged in debt management activities at the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has been its review of compliance with its Debt Management Guidance (published on 28 September 2010) and taking subsequent enforcement action to warn 129 debt management firms about non-compliant business practices identified during the OFT's review. The firms were instructed to produce independently audited evidence confirming action that they have taken to address the identified areas of non compliance by the middle of December, and of the 129 firms, 30 have indicated that they will surrender their licences, 85 firms have agreed to comply and the OFT has initiated revocation action against 15 traders, but these figures may well change.

Dentistry: Higher Education

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial support his Department provides for dental students.

David Willetts: For the first four years of their course, undergraduate dentistry students receive financial support from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This is administered by Student Finance England. Those with household incomes of up to £50,020 are entitled to a non-repayable maintenance grant, of which those with household incomes of £25,000 or less are entitled to the maximum grant amount of £2,906. Further means-tested grant support is available to those with caring responsibilities. All students are eligible for loans to cover their tuition fees and provide help towards their living costs. Those facing financial hardship can also apply for help from the discretionary Access to Learning Fund through their university.
	From the fifth year of their course, undergraduate dentistry students receive financial support from the Department of Health (DH). This includes an NHS Bursary and a reduced maintenance loan. DH will also pay the tuition fees of these students for these years.
	On top of this, the Government provide funding to universities via the Higher Education Funding Council for England. For the 2009/10 academic year, undergraduate dentistry degrees attracted £5,327 per student for the first year of the course; and attracted £14,242 per student for the remaining years of the course.

Departmental Reviews

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what departmental policy reviews his Department has undertaken since 6 May 2010; on what date each such review  (a) was announced and  (b) is expected to publish its findings; what estimate he has made of the cost of each such review; who has been appointed to lead each such review; to what remuneration each review leader is entitled; how many (i) full-time equivalent civil servants and (ii) seconded staff are working on each such review; from which organisations such staff have been seconded; and how much on average such seconded staff will be paid for their work on the review.

Edward Davey: The Department has undertaken six departmental policy reviews since 6 May 2006. Information on the estimated cost of each review is not held by the Department. Individuals recruited externally to chair reviews have been appointed in an advisory capacity and are not salaried staff. None of the external chairs have received remuneration, with the exception of Richard Hooper who received £19,183. Where BIS staff led reviews, they were recruited from within the Department and were not entitled to further payments for their work in addition to their normal salary. No staff have been seconded to the Department for Business to work on the reviews specifically.
	The following table sets out the information the hon. Member has asked for which the Department holds on these reviews.
	
		
			  Subject  Date review announced  Anticipated date of report  External Lead for each review  How many civil ser vants are working on the review  (full-time equivalents) 
			 Update of 2008 Independent Review of the Postal Services Sector 24 June 2010 Report was published on 10 September 2010 Richard Hooper 0.5 
			  
			 Consumer Credit and Personal Insolvency Review 13 July 2010 Early 2011 Led internally by BIS 2.7 
			  
			 Offender Learning 20 July 2010 November 2010 Led internally by BIS 1.2 
			 Review of the Design Council 16 July 2010 The review was published on 14 October Martin Temple CBE, chair of EEF and a board member of the Design Council 2.5 
			  
			 Women on Boards 6 August 2010 February 2011 Lord Davies (1)1 
			  
			 Red-tape burdens that fall on small civil society organisations 17 August Report to Ministers in early 2011 Lord Hodgson (1)1 
			 (1 )From BIS

Education: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effect of the implementation of the proposal to maintain the level of spending on science on the level of spending on  (a) further and  (b) higher education in the comprehensive spending review period; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The different areas of Government spending were assessed on their own merits. The Government recognise the fundamental role of science and research in rebalancing the economy and restoring economic growth. This is why, despite enormous pressure on public spending, the overall level of funding for science and research programmes has been protected in cash terms.
	Around two-thirds of science and research public funding is spent in universities, so the comprehensive spending review settlement for science and research has a substantial positive impact on higher education.

Green Investment Bank

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the proposed Green Investment Bank to be operational.

Mark Prisk: The Government aim to complete the design of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) and conduct further market testing by spring 2011. Although a precise timeline for the GIB becoming operational cannot be provided at this stage, the GIB will begin making investments as it receives funding from asset sales and departmental budgets.

Green Investment Bank

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the oral answer of 20 October 2010,  Official Report, column 985, on the Green Investment Bank, which Government assets he plans to sell to provide funding for the proposed Green Investment Bank; how much funding he expects to be raised from each asset sale; and what proportion of the funding accruing from each asset sale will be allocated to the Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: To give information on expected proceeds from individual asset sales would prejudice the Government's commercial position in ongoing and future sale processes. However, at an aggregate level, the Government are confident that the asset sales they are considering will be sufficient to provide significant additional funding above the £1 billion allocated to the Green Investment Bank from departmental budgets. It will make further announcements on this funding stream in due course.

Hallowe'en Lanterns

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with manufacturers of Hallowe'en lanterns to ensure lanterns are constructed from materials which are biodegradeable.

Edward Davey: I believe the hon. Gentleman is referring to sky (Chinese) lanterns rather then lanterns specifically for Halloween. My Department has had no discussions with the manufacturers who are numerous and located in Asia. However, in August, officials did write to all UK local authority trading standards offices asking them to contact importers and retailers of lanterns to ensure that only sky lanterns which are biodegradable be placed on the market.

Immigration Controls: Science

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from representatives of the academic and research community on the likely effects of the proposed immigration cap on the science sector.

David Willetts: I have had many discussions, both formal and informal, with a wide range of stakeholders on this subject. Last week I convened a meeting with representatives of the higher education, further education and research sectors. Additionally, I have received correspondence on the subject from many interested parties.

Manufacturing Industries: Public Expenditure

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from what budgets the £200 million a year to be allocated to manufacturing and business development as referred to in paragraph 2.51 of the Spending Review 2010, will be drawn.

Edward Davey: This funding is a new line of expenditure negotiated with HM Treasury as part of the spending review.

Manufacturing Insight

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of Manufacturing Insight.

Mark Prisk: The Government are fully committed to raising the profile of manufacturing and we are considering the best way of achieving this. Later this year, we will be publishing a Manufacturing Framework which will outline ways of working with industry to promote UK manufacturing; to ensure the vital role of manufacturing in the UK economy is recognised.

Mass Media

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to encourage the growth of diverse business types in the media sector.

Mark Prisk: The media industry has an important part to play in our plans for a more balanced and sustainable British economy, and will benefit from the Government's policies to create macro-economic stability; to help markets work more effectively; to focus on enabling private sector growth and investment; and to ensure that everyone in the UK has access to opportunities.

National Vocational Qualifications

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Skills Funding Agency plans to provide funding for the Business Improvement Techniques NVQ in each of the next three years.

John Hayes: Since 2008 sector skills councils and awarding organisations have been preparing qualifications for the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The QCF is being developed as part of the wider reform of vocational qualifications and allows vocational qualifications to be designed using the latest and most up-to-date employment standards, with active input from employers through their skills councils.
	SEMTA, the Skills Council for Engineering, has redeveloped the previous NVQ in Business Improvement Techniques for the QCF, and following the review against Skills Funding Agency public funding guidelines, the new QCF NVQ Business Improvement Techniques has been confirmed for funding by the Skills Funding Agency for this academic year.
	However the agency has raised concerns at the size of the QCF qualifications and their assessment strategy and what this would mean for learners and providers. Colleagues in Scotland have also raised similar concerns.
	On this basis, the agency has agreed to fund the Business Improvement Techniques to 31 July 2011 only and, during this period, will seek further feedback from providers and awarding organisations on both qualification size and assessment strategy.
	By January 2011 the agency will be able to assess the feedback received, and also take account of the work which the UK Commission for Employment and Skills has been doing with SEMTA with regard to robustness of their process for vocational qualification reform. At this point the agency will then confirm future funding arrangements for this qualification.

One NorthEast: Assets

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the residual  (a) assets and  (b) liabilities are of One NorthEast.

Mark Prisk: We are in the early stages of regional development agency closure and transition. Until this process is complete we will not know what the residual assets and liabilities of each RDA will be.

Particle Accelerators

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the potential creation of strangelets in the operation of (i) apparatus in the UK producing high-energy ion collision and (ii) the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

David Willetts: The Secretary of State has not commissioned any research into this matter, as the UK has no equipment capable of producing strangelets, even if they exist.
	CERN has conducted its own safety assessments. The Large Hadron Collider Safety Assessment Group (LSAG), a group of independent scientists, concluded in 2002-03 that there was no conceivable risk from the collisions at the LHC. Their assessment was re-examined by CERN's Scientific Policy Committee (SPC), a group of external scientists that advises CERN's governing council, and they confirmed these conclusions, which include the assessment that the LHC is not capable of producing strangelets.
	In 2008 and in the light of new experimental data and theoretical understanding, the LHC Safety Assessment Group (LSAG) updated the 2003 analysis. The LSAG reaffirmed and extended the conclusions of the 2003 report that LHC collisions present no danger and that there are no reasons for concern. The LSAG noted that the LHC will produce, under controlled conditions, events that have already taken place many times over during the lifetime of the Earth and other astronomical bodies.

Patents: EC Law

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with his EU counterparts the enforcement of cost orders emanating from patent judgments by the EU Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market.

Edward Davey: The Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (OHIM), situated in Alicante in Spain, registers trade marks and designs registrations, but not patents. Adversarial proceedings before this office do attract cost awards against losing parties according to a scale set out in Rule 94 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2868/95 of 13 December 1995 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 40/94 on the Community trade mark. There is no duty on the OHIM to enforce such costs, which is a matter for the parties concerned under civil law provisions. I am aware that such orders, which involve relatively low sums of money, are not routinely honoured or vigorously pursued. Though I have no plans to discuss this with my EU counterparts I will be asking my officials to determine whether non-payment is a source of particular disquiet to legal professionals and to successful litigants.

Public Expenditure

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's capital expenditure per head was in  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: The data requested are shown in the following table, based on the HM Treasury country and regional analysis used for the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Command Paper (PESA 2010, Cm. 7890).
	
		
			  £ 
			   London  North-west 
			 2005-06 57.04 -1.29 
			 2006-07 49.77 24.86 
			 2007-08 54.62 25.20 
			 2008-09 60.13 31.14 
			 2009-10 79.82 45.32

Regional Development Agencies

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the liabilities of regional development agencies on his Department's budgets for local regeneration projects.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 4 November 2010
	The Department does not directly fund local regeneration projects but has overall responsibility for the regional development agencies' single pot which includes funding from other Departments for this activity. The majority of RDA liabilities are represented by existing legal commitments in respect of local economic development and regeneration projects.

Regional Development Agencies: Assets

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the receipts to accrue to his Department from the disposal of the assets of regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: It is not possible at present to estimate the extent of receipts arising from the disposal of the assets of the regional development agencies as decisions have yet to be made on the scope and timing of any sale.

Regional Development Agencies: Assets

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the assets of regional development agencies he plans to transfer or dispose of before the notification of Royal Assent to the Public Bodies Bill.

Mark Prisk: We will be working closely with the regional development agencies in respect of the transferring or disposal of their assets and liabilities. This work will be in line with the principles outlined in paragraphs 2.45 to 2.47 of the Local Growth White Paper and will take account of the existing statutory framework of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 and, with the exception of the London Development Agency, the provisions of the Public Bodies Bill.
	As introduced, the draft clauses of the Public Bodies Bill confer a power to make a transfer scheme for property, rights and liabilities in connection with an order abolishing a regional development agency.

Regional Development Agencies: Assets

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to paragraph 2.44 of the Local Growth White Paper, Cm 7961, what the governance framework is for the disposal of regional development agency assets and liabilities.

Mark Prisk: Until new legislation comes into force, RDA assets and liabilities will be disposed of by the relevant RDA within the existing statutory framework (The Regional Development Agencies Act 1998) which in practice means that disposal decisions will continue to reflect the RDAs' statutory purposes, particularly the need to further the economic development and regeneration within the relevant area while ensuring maximum public value in line with HM Treasury guidance on managing public money. Disposals will be overseen by the relevant RDA Board and within that RDA's assurance framework and will take place within a strong governance framework for RDA closure led by BIS with Department for Communities and Local Government and HM Treasury membership of the Transition Board.

Regional Development Agencies: Our Life

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments were made by the regional development agencies to Our Life in the financial year 2010-11; and for what purpose in each such case.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 8 November 2010
	None of the Regional Development Agencies have made payments to Our Life so far in the financial year 2010-11.

Regional Growth Fund

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the Regional Growth Fund he plans to allocate to  (a) housing and  (b) transport projects.

Mark Prisk: The objectives and criteria for the Regional Growth Fund are set out in the Local Growth White Paper, 'Local growth: realising every place's potential', which was published on 28 October and introduced to Parliament by an oral statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills made on that day,  Official Report, column 408.
	The Regional Growth Fund is a challenge fund and not ring-fenced or pre-allocated in any way to keep it flexible and responsive to the economic development needs of the country. The support offered for particular sectors or types of economic activity will depend on the strength of bids to the fund to deliver its core objectives of creating private sector jobs and growth. Decisions on successful proposals will be based on recommendations by the independent Advisory Panel, chaired by my noble Friend Lord Heseltine.

Regional Growth Fund

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will direct the Regional Growth Fund to commit an annual sum to research and development funding no less than the annual sum committed to regional development agencies for such purposes.

Mark Prisk: The objectives and criteria for the Regional Growth Fund are set out in the Local Growth White Paper, 'Local growth: realising every place's potential', which was published on 28 October and introduced to Parliament by an oral statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills made on that day,  Official Report, column 408.
	The Regional Growth Fund is a challenge fund and not ring-fenced or pre-allocated in any way to keep it flexible and responsive to the economic development needs of the country. The support offered for particular sectors or types of economic activity will depend on the strength of bids to the fund to deliver its core objectives of creating private sector jobs and growth. Decisions on successful proposals will be based on recommendations by the independent Advisory Panel, chaired by my noble Friend Lord Heseltine.

Regional Growth Fund

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any of the funds allocated by his Department as part of the comprehensive spending review will be drawn from the budget of the regional growth fund.

Mark Prisk: Decisions on bids made to the regional growth fund will be decided by a ministerial group chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and will be informed by recommendations on the effective deployment of the fund made by an independent advisory panel chaired by Lord Heseltine. The funding for the regional growth fund is separate from the spending review settlement given to this Department and from the Department's allocations to its partners.

Research Councils: Finance

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to announce the budget allocation for each research council for the comprehensive spending review period; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: In the recent spending review the Chancellor announced that the Government will spend £4.6 billion on science and research programmes in each of the next four years within a ring-fenced budget. Capital and administration spending on science and research have not yet been decided.
	In the coming weeks, Ministers will make decisions on the balance of funding between research councils, the Higher Education Funding Council for England's research and knowledge transfer activities, the national academies and other programmes. We expect this will be completed by Christmas. Detailed decisions on specific projects will be taken by funding bodies, in line with the Haldane principle.

Research Councils: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2010,  Official Report, column 754W, on research councils: finance, how much funding the  (a) Confederation of British Industry and  (b) Council for Science and Technology provided to the research councils in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The Confederation of British Industry represent the views of the private sector, they do not provide direct funding for research councils. The Council for Science and Technology is a governmental advisory group and does not provide any funding for research councils.

Royal Mail and Post Office: Redundancy

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of jobs he expects to be lost in  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) the Post Office as a result of his proposals for future ownership of Royal Mail.

Edward Davey: To secure its future, whether in the public or private sector, Royal Mail has to improve its efficiency and this will regrettably mean a further loss of jobs in the company. The Business transformation agreement between the company and the Communication Workers Union recognises this. The number of job losses will be an operational matter for the company.
	Under proposals set out in the Postal Service Bill, we have made it clear that Post Office Ltd (POL) is not for sale. The employment of staff in post offices is a matter for Post Office Ltd for Crown post offices, and for individual sub-postmasters in their own sub-post offices. As with Royal Mail, POL has to ensure that it operates efficiently, but the Government have committed that there will be no further programmes of post office closures.

Royal Mail: Stoke on Trent

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the likely effects on Stoke-on-Trent Royal Mail centre of the proposed consolidation of service provision within Royal Mail.

Edward Davey: The provision of postal services in the Stoke-on-Trent area is an operational matter for Royal Mail. The company is taking forward a business transformation plan, agreed with the Communication Workers Union, which will see a restructuring of its mail centres and other operational changes. Royal Mail has to improve its efficiency so that it can secure its future in a market where letters volumes continue to decline. Its half year results, which reported a £66 million loss in the letters business, emphasised the need for change.
	I have asked the chief executive at Royal Mail to write to the hon. Gentleman and provide an update on any operational changes in the Stoke-on-Trent area and a copy will be placed in the House Libraries.

Science: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of his Department's capital budget for science for 2011-12 has been allocated to the funding of  (a) long-term and  (b) international partnerships and projects.

David Willetts: The allocations of capital budgets for science and research following the recent spending review have not yet been decided.
	In the coming months, Ministers will make decisions on the balance of funding between the individual research councils, HEFCE's research and knowledge transfer activities, the national academies and other programmes. Detailed decisions on funding for long-term and international partnerships and projects will be taken by funding bodies in line with the Haldane principle.

Students: Radicalism

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the number of students in further and higher education institutions who have been radicalised.

John Hayes: BIS does not make estimates on the numbers of students radicalised. We have evidence that radicalisation or recruitment takes place in some of our campuses. The problem is not widespread but is obviously very serious where it occurs. We work closely with the police and institutions to help them manage the risk of this occurring.
	The issue of radicalisation in higher and further education, and the extent to which the Government can offer more support to the most vulnerable institutions, will be looked at in detail in the review of 'Prevent', the preventative strand of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy, 'Contest'.
	No estimates are made by the police or agencies about the numbers of students radicalised.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Females: Offenders

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent under each budget heading on holding events on women offenders in 2009-10; and how many staff were involved in organising these events.

Lynne Featherstone: In 2009-10 the Government Equalities Office (GEO) held a series of one-day stakeholder events with local service providers in England and Wales as part of the Department's contribution to the Government's strategy to divert women from crime following Baroness Corston's report on women in the criminal justice system.
	The events brought together key agencies from across the third and statutory sector, in order to consider how best to utilise the gender equality duty to meet the distinct needs of women offenders.
	The total cost of hosting these 10 events was £184,510.70 and the total number of GEO full-time equivalent staff involved in their organisation was 1.5.